'Cruxifixus' By Leon Aarts (artist collection)

"Crucifixus (2003) Acrylic on canvas After Brett Whiteley

Leon Aarts turned to Brett Whiteley's Vietnam-era crucifixions as a model. Whiteley had used religious imagery to indict 1960s American violence. 

This painting marks Aarts' conscious engagement with his artistic lineage. Like his grandfather Nardus van de Ven learning from Van Gogh's vision of light, Aarts studied Whiteley's political expressionism. 

Whiteley (1939-1992) was one of Aarts' acknowledged influences, alongside his teacher Alan Pearson and his grandfather. 

In essence, this is Aarts's homage to the suffering of Jesus Christ on the crucifix, nothing more, nothing less,"for he died for our souls" .