The Feast of the Ascension of Christ, also called Ascension Day, is a Christian holy day that commemorates the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven. Ascension Day is one of four ecumenical (i.e. universally celebrated) feasts of Christian churches. It is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter in line with biblical accounts, although some Christian denominations have moved the observance to the following Sunday.
In 2020, Ascension Day falls on Thursday 21 May, but, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, worldwide celebrations will be markedly different from those of previous years. What follows in this Curation are five artworks that tell the incredible story of Christ's Ascension.
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The Ascension 1821/1822
'The Ascension' is one of only three religious paintings by John Constable. 'The Ascension' was commissioned by Edward Alston, a brewer from Manningtree and Constable's cousin by marriage, in 1821, in order to gain favour with the Archdeacon of Colchester who was responsible for licensing public houses. The Archdeacon refused to license Alston’s hostelries and died in December 1821. Alston subsequently reneged on the contract at a great financial loss to Constable though he finished the painting regardless.
'The Ascension' had great trouble finding a permanent home due to its difference from Constable's other work before The Constable Trust had the painting conserved and put on display in St Mary's Church, Dedham.
John Constable (1776–1837)
Oil on canvas
H 160 x W 127 cm
The Constable Trust
Image credit: The Constable Trust
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The Altarpiece of St Mary Redcliffe: The Ascension 1755–1756
'The Alterpiece of St Mary Radcliffe: The Ascension' by William Hogarth is the centre piece of a triptych commissioned in 1756 for St Mary Radcliffe parish church in Bristol. The Ascension scene is flanked by 'The Sealing of the Sepulchre' and 'The Three Marys at the Tomb', each of which is around 14 by 12 feet in size. This was Hogarth's only commission from the Church of England.
The triptych's large size made it difficult to display and spent many decades in storage. Most recently, the three paintings ended up in the offices of the Bristol & Region Archaeological Services for some 27 years before finally returning to public display in St Nicholas Church, Bristol, when the church was re-consecrated in 2018.
William Hogarth (1697–1764)
Oil on canvas
H 873 x W 685 cm
Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives
Image credit: Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives
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Venice: The Basin of San Marco on Ascension Day about 1740
'Venice: The Basin of San Marco on Ascension Day' by Canaletto aptures two of the most popular annual festivals in eighteenth-century Venice: the gondola races and the Wedding of the Sea ceremony, the latter of which involving the Doge of Venice dropping a gold ring into the Grand Canal to symbolise Venice's dominance of the seas. This grand ceremony would happen every year as part of the Festa della Sensa which the Republic of Venice celebrated on Ascension Day.
Canaletto (1697–1768)
Oil on canvas
H 121.9 x W 182.8 cm
The National Gallery, London
Image credit: The National Gallery, London
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Jerusalem, City and Mount of Ascension 1925
British artist David Bomberg declared that until he traveled to Jerusalem in 1923, he had “never seen the sunlight before.” The self-described “poor boy from London’s East End” was captivated by the Old City’s distinctive light, landscape and architecture, which he then expressed in a series of topographical panoramas, including his 1925 painting 'Jerusalem, City and Mount of Ascension'.
The Mount of Ascension, also known as the Mount of Olives, was not only where Christ is reported to have ascended to heaven but also where he spent his time teaching and prophesying to his disciples. A fourth century AD shrine claiming to have a rock with the imprint of Christ's right foot now sits at the Mount's peak.
David Bomberg (1890–1957)
Oil on canvas
H 66 x W 78 cm
Ferens Art Gallery
© the estate of David Bomberg. All rights reserved, DACS 2024. Image credit: Ferens Art Gallery
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The Ascension 1962
'The Ascension' by Francis Ferdinand Maurice Cook is the central panel of a triptych flanked by St Michael and the Angel Gabriel on the right and left side respectively. Cook's interpretation of the scene is incredibly vibrant and busy, with people and angels alike gathering to celebrate the joyous moment of Christ's Ascension.
In 1958, Cook sold Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi to Sotheby's for £45 as he believed it to be a piece by the artist Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio. Salvator Mundi went on to become the most expensive painting ever sold when it was sold for $450 million to a Saudi Prince in 2017.
Francis Ferdinand Maurice Cook (1907–1978)
Oil on canvas
H 171 x W 196 cm
Sir Francis Cook Collection
© the artist's estate. Image credit: Sir Francis Cook Collection
