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Here's a snap of the celebrated Scottish artist Peter Howson in front of one of the four huge oil paintings at the centre of his new show. Both painting and show are called Harrowing of Hell. Mr Howson is on PM with Nigel Wrench tonight. Nigel writes:

"Like it? (That's meant to be Christ on the right above the artist's shoulder).

One collector was impressed enough to buy the entire show, even before it opens tonight. The gallery, Flowers East in the art-heavy London district of Shoreditch, won't say who the collector is, nor what he/she paid.

The four oils, though, were each priced at "between £100,000 and £200,000".

Here's the whole of Harrowing of Hell. Imagine it six foot high by about seven foot wide. All the close-up photographs, by the way, are courtesy Flowers London.

Mr Howson was war artist in Bosnia in the early 1990s. He became a born-again Christian while being treated for alcohol and drug dependency in 2000. His work ever since has been religious in its subject matter.

While I was at the gallery the show was still being installed. Here are some of the drawings waiting to go up.

And, below, a close-up of one drawing, A Traitor's Love. Mr Howson acknowledges a debt to Caravaggio.

One more work: The Everlasting Man. The artist says, "Most crucifixions are pretty and this is meant to be the true suffering of Christ."

The gallery is in the area of London where the work of the likes of Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst came to prominence. Ms Emin still lives nearby.

Mr Hirst has also taken on religion in his work, but Mr Howson says bluntly: "Damien Hirst is a genius for money. He's not a genius in art.""

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