EDITION INFORMATION

This portrait is available as part of a strictly limited, artist-signed edition across three print sizes. Each print is individually numbered and produced to archival standards.

Next Available Edition Numbers:

Medium: 20 × 23 inches : Edition 2/10

Large: 30 × 35 inches : Edition 1/5

Extra Large: 40 × 47 inches : Edition 1/2

Once all editions are sold, no further prints will be made.

ABOUT THE WORK

The Penitent Thief confronts the viewer with a moment of raw exposure—both physical and emotional. Loosely based on the biblical figure crucified beside Christ, the image evokes the instant of reckoning: not salvation, but the vertigo of recognition. The subject’s arm is outstretched in a gesture of pleading or release, while his other hand hovers near his chest, as though about to clutch it—midway through an unspoken confession.

The figure is rendered in full frontal nudity, but without sensationalism. The fallen perizoma—that is, the traditional cloth used to preserve modesty in religious imagery—slips down his hips, not merely as a visual provocation but as a symbolic unraveling. The body is no longer veiled by decorum; it becomes an instrument of narrative, history, and metaphysical inquiry. This bareness does not ask for forgiveness—it simply declares itself.

Equally striking is the painterly manipulation of colour across the skin: portions of the body have been selectively desaturated, recalling both marble statuary and photographic decay. This duality—between living flesh and inert material—heightens the image’s ambiguity: is this man dying, transcending, or simply being seen? His gaze, direct and unflinching, fixes on the viewer—not in confrontation, but in entreaty—enlisting us as both witness and judge.

In The Penitent Thief, nudity is not a scandal but a theology. The erotic is inseparable from the sacred. It is a portrait of guilt, beauty, and the final act of being witnessed.

ARTWORK FORMAT AND MATERIALS

Each fine art print is produced on Hahnemühle Baryta Rag — a museum-grade, 100% cotton archival paper renowned for its luxurious surface and luminous detail. Prints are surrounded by a 1.5 inch white border and are hand-signed and editioned by the artist. Works are shipped unframed to ensure preservation and collector flexibility.

PRICING AND SELECTION

Please select your preferred size from the dropdown menu below to view availability and pricing. All prices are listed in Australian Dollars. Click here to convert to other currencies.

COLLECTOR NOTES

• ✅ Signed and numbered by Troy Schooneman

• ✅ Archival, museum-grade print quality

• ✅ Strictly limited edition — no reprints once sold out

• ✅ Certificate of Authenticity available upon request

• ✅ Ships professionally packaged and unframed

Collectors who purchase a limited edition print of The Penitent Thief will receive the uncensored version.

For further details about purchasing works from my fine art photography collection, please click here.