The Crucifixion – Simon Bisley

This drawing looks like it is one of a series of drawings and paintings that Simon Bisley created at the end of the last century and into the first decade of this all of which had a common theme: scenes from the Old Testament and the New Testament. Around about 120 of these were published in a Heavy Metal book called Simon Bisley’s Illustrations from the Bible: a Work in Progress, but I do not know if this drawing appeared in that volume as I do not own that book. I did not ask Simon Bisley if this drawing features in that book or any other book when I met him at last summer’s London Film and Comic Convention; it did not even occur to me to do so.

One question I did ask SB related to this drawing was who the figure is in the foreground with their back towards us. What makes this drawing for me and sets it apart from the numerous other versions SB has painted and drawn of the same subject is the focus on Jesus and the other figure which stand in sharp contrast to the enveloping darkness. The cross is slightly to the right of centre but it is balanced on the vertical by the figure standing at the base who I thought could be one of three people: Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalen; or, a proxy for us, bearing witness. Simon told me that the figure is intended to be Mary, Jesus’ mother.

The only other question I asked SB which was tangentially related to this drawing was if he is “very religious”. I hope that he will not mind me telling you his answer; it matches the same answer if you were to Google it. He said that he was not. I did not think a comic convention was either the place or time to engage in a deep theological discussion – I would not have the knowledge and wisdom to do so anyway – so I did not follow up with any further questioning. As he did not say he was not religious at all I am assuming that he lies somewhere on the spectrum of belief. He is in good company as William, Prince of Wales recently professed to have a “quiet faith”. I am suspicious of laypeople who have a “loud faith” ever since I was introduced to a couple of people, neither of whom knew the other and neither of whom is still alive, who were “very religious”. A couple of things they had in common was that they could recite long passage from the Bible from just memory, and the other was that every now and then they would try to convert me. They could be overbearing in their – to use a word a former tutor taught me – “religiosity”. I contrast this with someone I was in school with over 40 years ago and is now a bishop – how is that for an ecclesiastical flex? On the occasions when we cross paths, perhaps in a shop or an art gallery we still exchange a few words but he has never tried to convert me, and it is not because I am irredeemable; no one is.

I don’t think you have to be a Christian or even religious to be affected by the Passion of Christ. There are parallels to it in popular fiction, most notably Gandalf and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Scholars do tend to agree that Jesus was an historical figure, ie he really existed. What is up for debate is whether or not he was who he claimed to be: the Son of God.

Many thanks to Simon Bisley for this very powerful and moving drawing.

To those who celebrate it – happy Easter.