Station 12: Jesus dies on the cross

Before Tom started drawing the painting, Michael practised sketching Pre-Raphaelite stunners. We used Fanny Hunt for Mary the mother of Jesus. In the painting, we copied her from when she was pregnant, and when her baby was born in October 1866, she died at the age of twenty years old, a month later, because of the birth. Jesus was drawn free handed.

First we painted the sky with different types of red. At the top of the sky, we used white paint and then went down, painting it with darker shades of red. We painted a spear which was driven into Jesus’ side, checking to see if he was dead.

The inspiration for our painting came from St Saviour’s church stations (transferred from the All Saints Church in Falsgrave in the 1970s). We would have to paint Jesus a pale Arab colour, and Mary, an Arabian skin colour. The purpose of the painting is death, and the one in St Saviour’s definitely presents this well!