The Ascension

Opaque glass mosaic, designed by William Blake Richmond, executed by Messrs Powell of Whitefriars, completed by 1904



The Passion and Resurrection of Christ are the themes of the four mosaics filling the surfaces of the quarter-domes or squinches supporting the dome above. The Resurrection is based upon the descriptions in the gospels of Luke and Mark and related writings. According to both evangelists, Christ in his risen body was received into heaven. Monumental scenes visualising the rather short biblical descriptions were produced already in Byzantine times, including mosaics for domes, apses and even the front of Italian churches. They often depict Christ and the apostles, with Christ risen or carried to Heaven. This mosaic in contrast shows Christ, surrounded by Saints. Their identification solely based on their attributes is difficult, since more than several saints share the same attributes. The group is likely to have been developed together with eight figures surrounding Christ on The Entombment (mosaic no. 6098) on the other side of the crossing.



Brief description: Christ, in a night blue tunic, standing at the centre of the composition raising his hands in blessing, on a light arch symbolising the arch, rays in gold emanating from his figure and the disk of the sun above him; to either side four saints against a dark blue background, filled almost entirely with scrolling foliage, reminiscent of the Tree of Life on the opposite side of the crossing; to his right the saints St Jerome as hermit, kneeling with cross and stone, St Ambrose kneeling next to a beehive, St Ignatius of Loyola with palm and St Paul with his sword; to his left St Francis of Assissi kneeling and in his brown habit, St Augustine kneeling with a scroll, St Gregory the Great with two boys and St Peter with the cross.



Related work elsewhere: Berlinghiero Berlinghieri, Ascension, mosaic, 13th century, Basilica Saint Frediano, Lucca, Italy; mosaic, 17th century, façade of Saint Mark’s Basilica, Venice, Italy; Salviati & Co., mosaic, 1893, produced in Venice, installed at St Andrew’s, Kirby Grindalythe, North Yorkshire; Non Angli sed Angeli (St Gregory with Anglo-Saxon slave boys), opus sectile work, 19th century, Westminster Cathedral, London



Literature and references: Zech 2015, pp. 44.