Picture in Focus: The Garden of Gethsemane by Peter Howson

February 25, 2018

Picture in Focus: The Garden of Gethsemane by Peter Howson

British Artist Peter Howson created this week's new illustration in pastel from the Sacred Art Pilgrim Collection of the third of seven moments from the Passion of Christ, which we will be considering during the Lenten Season. A master of the mob scene, the Glasgow-based draughtsman gives us a timeless variation on Christ's arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, peopled with over-muscled thugs and football hooligans typical of his apocalyptic scenes of urban violence. Like many sacred images Howson has made since his religious conversion in 2000, Christ appears illumined by his own aura in this chiaroscuro image, the still center and fulcrum who keeps the unruly elements of this scene in balance. This new Howson pastel can be found on his profile page in the Sacred Artists section. (John Kohan)