The Ascension
Panel
second half 15th century (made)
second half 15th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Above a mound in the centre of the panel, the feet of Christ and the lower part of his gown are shown ascending into heaven, which is indicated by triangles carved across the top of the panel. The Virgin Mary, crowned and wearing a gown and a cloak fastened by a brooch appears kneeling in the centre of the panel with her hands held together in prayer. Behind her kneels the bearded figure of St James the Great, dressed as a pilgrim and the other apostles, who can be identified by their attributes such as St Peter, St John the Evangelist, St Jude and St Paul.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Ascension (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Carved and painted alabaster |
| Brief description | Alabaster panel depicting the Ascension. English, second half of 15th century. |
| Physical description | Above a mound in the centre of the panel, the feet of Christ and the lower part of his gown are shown ascending into heaven, which is indicated by triangles carved across the top of the panel. The Virgin, crowned and wearing a gown and a cloak fastened by a brooch, kneels facing right in the centre of the panel, her hands held together in prayer. Behind her kneels the bearded figure of St. James the Great, facing the centre of the panel. He is dressed as a pilgrim, wearing a gown, with a hat on his right shoulder hanging from a strap and holding a pointed staff in his right hand. Four similar figures of apostles, including St. Peter holding his emblem, the key, are carved on the left of the panel. The beardless figure of St. John the Evangelist, wearing a gown and a cloak, kneels facing the Virgin, holding the palm pointing downwards in his left hand, his right hand raised. Behind him kneels the bearded St. Jude, holding his emblem, the boat. Four other figures of apostles, including St. Paul with his emblem, the sword, are carved on the right of the panel. The top corners of the panel are missing. The top part of the panel is cracked. Green paint and the usual daisy pattern remain on the ground. St. John's palm is green. There are traces of red on the robes of the figures. The mound is painted a reddish colour. The back of the panel has two lead-plugged holes. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA |
| Object history | On loan from Dr W.L. Hildburgh since 1927. Given by Dr Hildburgh in 1946. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Above a mound in the centre of the panel, the feet of Christ and the lower part of his gown are shown ascending into heaven, which is indicated by triangles carved across the top of the panel. The Virgin Mary, crowned and wearing a gown and a cloak fastened by a brooch appears kneeling in the centre of the panel with her hands held together in prayer. Behind her kneels the bearded figure of St James the Great, dressed as a pilgrim and the other apostles, who can be identified by their attributes such as St Peter, St John the Evangelist, St Jude and St Paul. |
| Bibliographic reference | Cheetham, Francis. English Medieval Alabasters. Oxford: Phaidon-Christie's Limited, 1984. p. 293 (cat. 220), ill. ISBN 0-7148-8014-0 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.144-1946 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | November 22, 2002 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
