"Adieu Jesus" Acryl on canvas 160cm x 230cm
Triptych like a cross with three symbolic elements:

From right to left:
1) - "Escape from Egypt"
2) - "The Temptation"
3) - "The Crucifixion"

The development of an idea is often a long process which hardly happens on paper.
The idea is sometimes final an either I fix it in that way on canvas or it is followed by a process of development which happens in my head.
Concerning "Adieu Jesus" there have been 3 stages: first "The Escape from Egypt" which originally was supposed to be a single picture. This painting remained unfinished for a long time until "The Crucifixion" became finished. Because I meanwhile had the idea of a crucifix. I have chosen that kind of triptych. Then I had to decide which focal points could be taken when Jesus´ life should be represented. I already had found two contents "The Escape" and "The Crucifixion" of which I personally think they are decisive. The only other which could come into question was "The temptation in the desert". This period of time made Jesus become Christ, God´s son. I´m no theologian but I´m in touch with these 3 periods very much.

The painting tells no story. It is at the same time a door as well as a mirror. Reflections about Christ offer the viewer of the painting the possibility to search for himself and probably to find himself.

Technically seen the painting was the shape of a cross but it also represents the symbol of eternity. That´s the reason why there´s a shifting from right to left. The cross is not only the symbol of pain - left side (colour of English red -> blood) and of death (colour black = extincted things => the silence of the body after death, the conclusion of live on earth) but also the symbol - right side of live (colour white = nothing which is before the beginning or birth). A world where all material attributes have gone but all kinds of live are possible. And hope (colour emerald = silence and reflection with a touch of indifference makes the preparation for the future possible).
The middle part is represented by the colour of blue (colour ultramarine = it takes mankind over to eternity and wakens the longing for the pure and transcendental).
This also becomes clear by the contrast of the shown figures: first - at the bottom - the charmelle temptation , than - at the top - the spiritual temptation.

Robert Mercier