y ▁desert ▁in ▁the ▁background . ▁ ▁K ram sk oi ▁described ▁the ▁early ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁painting ▁in ▁his ▁letters ▁to ▁writer ▁V se vol od ▁Gar sh in . ▁ ▁The ▁painting ▁Christ ▁in ▁the ▁Des ert ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁K ram sk oi ' s ▁Jesus - th emed ▁paint ings , ▁the ▁other ▁being ▁Re jo ice , ▁King ▁of ▁the ▁Jews ▁and ▁Her od ias . ▁K ram sko y ▁used ▁primarily ▁cold ▁colours ▁to ▁reflect ▁the ▁ch ill ▁dawn ▁in ▁the ▁background . ▁The ▁thought ful ▁figure ▁of ▁Christ , ▁we aring ▁a ▁dark ▁wrap ▁and ▁a ▁red ▁t unic ▁under ne ath , ▁is ▁slightly ▁shift ed ▁to ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁centre . ▁K ram sk oi ▁wrote : ▁" To ▁the ▁question ▁' this ▁is ▁not ▁Christ , ▁how ▁do ▁you ▁know ▁he ▁looked ▁like ▁that ? ', ▁I ▁permitted ▁myself ▁to ▁reply ▁' but ▁even ▁the ▁actual , ▁living ▁Christ ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁recogn ised ' ." ▁The ▁painting ▁emphas izes ▁Jesus ' s ▁human ▁constitu ent ▁of ▁hyp ost atic ▁union ▁and ▁features ▁a ▁mind ▁in ▁struggle ▁instead ▁of ▁action . ▁Because ▁the ▁horizon ▁div ides ▁the ▁canvas ▁plane ▁almost ▁in ▁half , ▁the ▁figure ▁of ▁Jesus ▁domin ates ▁the ▁painting ▁space ▁and ▁harm on izes ▁with ▁the ▁stern ▁w ilder ness ▁simultaneously . ▁ ▁K ram sk oi ▁sold ▁his ▁work ▁to ▁Tre ty akov ▁for ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁rub les . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁painting ▁received ▁a