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| Hans Suess von Kulmbach, Ascension German, 1513 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
"When they had gathered together they asked him,
"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth."
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, "Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven."
Acts 1:6-11 Excerpt from the First Reading of the Mass for the feast of the Ascension of the Lord
We have already examined the Ascension motifs in which Jesus strides into heaven (here) and is lifted there in a mandorla or on a cloud (here). Now we will look at what is my favorite image of the Ascension. There is something a bit whimsical about seeing only the feet of Jesus protruding from clouds.
The image appears to develop during the middle ages. One of the earliest images I have found comes from the Psalter known alternately as the St. Alban's Psalter or the Psalter of Christina of Marykate, painted in England in the first quarter of the twelfth century.
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| Ascension from the Psalter of Christina of Markyate English (St. Alban's), 1124-1145 Hildesheim, Dombibliothek |
It became quite a popular alternative to the images of striding or being lifted for the remainder of the middle ages.
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| Ascension From an Illustrated Vita Christi English (Poss York), c. 119-1200 Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum MS Ms. 101, fol. 90v |
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| Ascension from a Picture Bible French (St. Omer, Abbey of St. Bertin), c.1190-1200 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 76 F 5, fol. 23v |
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| Incredulity of Saint Thomas and the Ascension From the Golden Munich Psalter English (Oxford), c. 1200-1225 Munich, Bayerisches Staatsbibliothek MS Clm 835, fol. 28r |
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| Ascension from the Psalter of St. Louis and Blanche of Castille French (Paris), c. 1225 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Arsenal 1186, fol. 27v |
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| Ascension from a Psalter German (Augsburg), 1230-1255 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 280, fol. 11r |
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| Ascension from a Psalter German (Franconia), 1245-1255 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS G 73, fol. 61v |
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| Ascension From a Psalter Flemish (Bruges), c. 1250 Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum MS 14, fol. 123v |
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| Ascension from a Psalter German (Worms), 1250-1299 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 284, fol. 9v |
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| Ascension From Bible Pictures by William de Brailes English (Oxford), c. 1250 Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum MS W. 106, fol. 21v |
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| The Hospitaller Master, Ascension from a French Bible French (Paris), 1250-1275 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 494, fol. 610v |
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| Ascension from the Livre d'images de Madame Marie Belgian (Hainaut), c. 1285-1290 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Nouvelle acquisition francaise 16251, fol. 49v |
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| Ascension From a Book of Homilies German (Lower Rhine), c. 1320-1350 Baltimore, The Walters Art Museum MS W. 148, fol. 242v |
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| Maubeuge Master, Ascension from a Bible historiale French (Paris), 1320-1330 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 323, fol. 260v |
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| Richard de Montbaston, Ascension from the Legenda aurea by Jacobus da Voragine French (Paris), 1348 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 241, fol 124v |
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| Ivory Diptych with the Ascension and Pentecost French, 1370-1380 Paris, Musée du Louvre
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| Anonymous Alabaster Carver, Ascension English (Nottingham), 15th Century New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
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| Ivory Panel from a Box, Ascension French, 15th Century Paris, Musée de Cluny, Musée national du Moyen Age |
The Imprinted Footsteps
From about the beginning of the fifteenth century some artists began to include footprints on the mountain shape (representing the Mount of Olives). Looking carefully, one can sometimes see two tiny footprints side by side. Not every image has them, but many do. Look carefully at the following examples to see which have footprints. Some are very subtle. | ||
| Fastolf Master, Ascension from the Hours of William Porter French (Rouen), 1415-1430 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 105, fol. 20v
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| Ascension from the Egmont Breviary Dutch (Utrecht), 1435-1445 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 87, fol. 231r |
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| Master of the Heisterbacher Altar with Stefan Lochner, Ascension German, c. 1440 Bamberg, Staatsgalerie |
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| Ascension from Fleur des histoires by Jean Mansel French, 1450-1475 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 56, fol. 62v |
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| Ascension from a Bible moralisee Flemish (Bruges), c. 1455-1460 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 76 E 7, fol. 219r |
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| Rambures Master, Enoch Taken by God, The Ascension of Jesus, Elijah Taken in a Chariot of Fire From a Biblia pauperum French (Hesdin or Amiens), c. 1470 The Hague, Meermano Museum MS RMMW 10 A 15, fol. 36v Here the Biblia pauperum compares three events from the Scriptures. In the left panel, representing the period Before the Law, Enoch is taken the heaven by God. In the right panel, representing the period Under the Law, Elijah is taken to heaven in a fiery chariot, witnessed by Elisah. In the central panel, the period of Grace and Fulfillment, Jesus ascends to heaven through his own power as God. |
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| Jean Colombe and Workshop, Ascension from a Book of Hours French (Bourges), 1475-1485 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 330, fol. 36r |
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| Jacques de Besancon, Ascension from the Legenda aurea by Jacobus de Voragine French (Paris), c. 1480-1490 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Francais 244, fol. 153
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| Master of the Older Prayer Book of Maximilian I, Ascension from the Breviary of Eleanor of Portugal Flemish (Bruges), 1495-1515 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 52, fol. 170v
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| Ascension from a Breviary French (Southern), 1506-1516 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 8, fol. 126r |
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| Jean Pichore. Ascemsopm from a Prayer Book French (Paris), 1511-1513 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 292, fol. 21v |
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The View from Below
During the seventeenth century the view from below changed. Instead of observing Christ's feet disappearing into a cloud bank side by side, as if He were standing in the air, the view becomes one in which His entire body can be seen as He flies upward. What we see most clearly, however, are His foreshortened, pierced feet. The latter is a reminder that His glorified body includes the wounds He suffered in the act of Redemption. |
| Peter Paul Rubens, Ascension Flemish, 1620 Vienna, Akademie der bildenden Künste |
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| Eustache Le Sueur, Ascension French, c. 1650 Private Collection |
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| Jacob de Wit, Ascension Dutch. c. 1751 London, Courtauld Gallery This de Wit is clearly copied from the Rubens above. |
But, perhaps the most unusual image of the Ascension ever created dates from the last half of the 20th century. It gives us a truly “Apostles’ eye view” of the event. Created by Salvador Dali in 1958.
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Salvador Dali
Spanish, 1958
San Diego, Museum of Art
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For the other iconographic motifs of the Ascension see:
- Jesus Striding into Heaven (here)
- Jesus Lifted to Heaven in a Mandorla or on a Cloud (here)
- The Direct Ascension (here)
© M. Duffy, 2011, revised 2017
Excerpts from the Lectionary
for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second
typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights
reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without
permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Thank you for this great post! Yesterday at Tomar, Portugal, I saw for the first time a panel with such representation of the Ascension: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/ascensão-de-cristo/GQHcqaaceIthPw?hl=pt-PT&avm=4
ReplyDeleteI was delighted and searched for more information on the topic. You gave a great contribution to the subject!
Merci beaucoup, c'est aussi ma représentation préférée de l'Ascension de Notre Seigneur !
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