Scene 23 is the last scene in the Nailing section of "The Serpent's Eye," also the last scene in this series I'm doing right now, maybe my last crux scene ever. I don't know about that for sure, but I do have months of work I put aside to do these 16 scenes and now I absolutely have to get back to that, lots of historical research and writing to do.
In the Nailing section of the story, I illustrated every agonizing step of Sabina being nailed to her cross. - 68 scenes altogether, not sure how many renders but probably 2,500 - 3,000. And that's not including the countless do-overs where I didn't like an expression, the lighting was wrong, the crowd needed to be moved in tighter, etc. So in Scene 23, we arrive at the point where Sabina is crucified.
In Scene 23, there are no more nails left to drive, the executioners' work is done. There is nothing left to do but guard and tend to Sabina while she very slowly and agonizingly suffers and dies on the cross. They gather up their chains, shackles and hammer and leave. Only Gundericus stays behind to take the first shift as guard. The crowd all find places to sit on the grass and watch Sabina writhe in pain, paying for her crime, proper Roman justice being done. The fat old drunk passes out against the base of the cross to Sabina's right.
Here are the top ten out of 65 renders from this scene:
