the executioner of the flock

The Executioner of the Flock

Under a stark chiaroscuro, this work presents a voracious allegory about the abuse of power and dogmatic manipulation. The central figure, a shepherd of austere and somber appearance, embodies the paradox of Inquisitorial spiritual authority: he who is meant to guide the flock becomes its own executioner.

With a dense texture and a palette dominated by dark tones, the gloomy atmosphere is barely broken by the glow of fire and the visceral red of blood at the precise moment of sacrifice. Before the passive and submissive gaze of the other faithful, the scene captures the dramatic climax where instrumentalized faith drains the life from the believer to consolidate its dominion. A piece of profound critical weight, marked by expressionist tension and the legacy of classical tenebrism.