Links to the Iconography of the Ascension

Giotto, The Ascension
Italian, c. 1304-1306
Padue, Scrovegni/Arena Chapel

 

Forty days after the celebration of Christ's Resurrection, the Church celebrates the end of His bodily presence on this planet with the feast of the Ascension.

This event, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, ends Jesus' time on earth in visible, human form.  With His Ascension the Apostles were left to pursue the mission He gave them in parting, as reported by the writers of the Synoptic Gospels.

 

Mark 

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned."  Mark 16:15-16

Matthew 

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."  Matthew 28:19-20

Luke

"And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day 

and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  

You are witnesses of these things."  Luke 24:46-49

The Iconography of the Ascension

Throughout time, artists have found differing ways of depicting this event.  Some of them are discussed in the following essays.

Striding into the Sky		https://imaginemdei.blogspot.com/2011/06/iconography-of-ascension-part-i-of-iv.html
Lifted in a Mondorla or on a Cloud		http://imaginemdei.blogspot.com/2017/05/iconography-of-ascension-part-ii-of-iv.html
The Disappearing Feet		http://imaginemdei.blogspot.com/2017/05/iconography-of-ascension-part-iii-of-iv.html
The Direct Approach		http://imaginemdei.blogspot.com/2017/05/iconography-of-ascension-part-iv-of-iv.html

© M. Duffy, 2025

 

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.