Be Hold the Lamb of God Medium: Acrylic on canvas size:11”x12” Date 2019-2020 Artist: Stephen J. Vattimo This illustration is done for a mural portraying the earthly ministry of Jesus the Christ. This is number 8, out of 9 illustraitions. This illustration portrays Jesus after he dies on the cross. Biblical reference : Mark 15 : 33-39 33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[b] 35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” 36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. 37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” In doing my research : I found out that the crown of thorns might have been a cap, than a wreath. I t is my opinion that Mel Gibson’s portrayal of the brutality the Roman soldier inflicted on the body of Jesus, through the beatings and the 39 lashes with the cat of nine tails. This event was never visually captured in arts, until he made his movie The Passion of the Christ. Many don’t know what a cat of nine tales is, Roman style. A cat of nine tails are nine leather strap that are woven together at the handle. Each strap is laced with bone and other sharp objects. With each lash, flesh would be ripped from the victim’s body. Most of the illustration I have seen of the crucifixion of Jesus where quite sterile. They fail to illustrate the brutality. Their image of Jesus looks more like an under wear modal doing a photo shoot fore GQ magazine, Then the savor having the wrath of God being pored on his body for the payment of our sins. In this painting, I am place my viewer in the soldiers shoes, who just witnessed Jesus committing His spirit into God’s hands. Just as the soldier pondered the event he participated in , and looking into the face of Jesus, he proclaims, this man was truly the Son of God. Written by Stephen J. Vattimo 7/20/2020