
A triptych oil painting, presented as three heavily framed, connected panels in the dramatic, tenebrism style of Baroque masters like Caravaggio. The overall atmosphere is one of supernatural, oppressive darkness and violent chaos. The Left Panel shows the penitent thief on his cross, body twisted in pain but his face turned toward the center panel with a look of sorrowful acceptance. A faint, supernatural light illuminates his face against a nearly black sky. Below him, rocks are splitting. The Center Panel is dominated by Jesus on the cross, head bowed in finality. The sky is a swirling vortex of eclipse darkness, blotting out the sun. The ground beneath the cross is violently cracking open, emitting dust and smoke, with debris caught in mid-air from the earthquake shockwave. The Right Panel shows the impenitent thief, writhing and screaming against his bonds, his face contorted in rage looking away from the center. He is almost swallowed by the shadows. The cross appears unstable as the cliffside crumbles beneath it. The entire triptych has a rich, dark color palette of deep browns, blacks, and muted crimson, textured with visible, frantic brushstrokes.
