In an unusual portrayal every device is employed to accentuate the violence of Christian's death – and a very unsettling vision. Strong images of good and evil are presented with no clear winner. Is Christian's soul destined for heaven or hell? Is he a villain or a folk hero? Moorish decoration is used to suggest of an infidel's grip on his soul. Angels tentatively descend from a star struck sky – a contradiction in the Islamic religion that excludes any depiction of the human form. But it is all only a legend flirting with reality – and as you see his body you also see blood. What is described in paint is an execution rather than a murder and the executioners have since moved on seeking their next victim. |