William Mitchell: Stations of the Cross
The architectural sculptor William Mitchell was commissioned to make the Stations of the Cross for the new Clifton Cathedral, built 1969–73 to designs by Ronald Weeks in close collaboration with clergy and theological advisors. The concrete church, almost entirely monochrome and undecorated, is notable for the success of its integration of the ideas of the liturgical reform movements of the twentieth century, and its expression of the principles of the Second Vatican Council – a ‘sermon in concrete’, in the words of Nikolaus Pevsner.
Eric Newton: Sanctuary mosaic scheme
Intended to resemble the Hagia Sophia, with a monumental concrete dome, the neo-Byzantine St John the Baptist church was built in 1927. The interior is dominated by a magnificent mosaic scheme which covers the sanctuary apse, designed by the art critic and artist Eric Newton for Ludwig Oppenheimer Ltd., a mosaic firm set up by his grandfather. The scheme, which took a year to build, draws on Newton’s considerable knowledge of art history and his study of early Christian mosaics, although there are echoes too of more recent religious art, such as the prints of William Blake.
George Mayer-Marton: Mosaic of St Clare and font
George Mayer-Marton’s work in mosaic for the Franciscan church of St Clare, Blackley, is one of several commissions by the Roman Catholic church in the north-west of England, but only one of three that survive.
George Mayer-Marton: Crucifixion mural
George Mayer-Marton’s Crucifixion mural at the Church of the Holy Rosary (1954–5) was one of several commissions by the Roman Catholic church in the North-West, but only one of three that survive.
F X Velarde and Herbert Tyson Smith: Baptismal font
The opening of English Martyrs RC church in 1953 marked the completion of F X Velarde’s (1897–1960) most ambitious post-war building. An expressionist brick basilica filled with colour and decorative elements; not added but embedded as intrinsic aspects of the architecture. As with all Velarde’s churches the detail was tightly controlled, work with artists being a collaboration. The most successful and longest of these collaborations was with the sculptor Herbert Tyson Smith (1883–1972).
Tom Phillips: Gerontius panels
These two marble panels by Tom Phillips (2003) flank the entrance to the Chapel of Holy Souls at Westminster Cathedral. They have since been joined by an accompanying mosaic depicting St John Henry Newman (2008), and a mosaic scheme for the ceiling of the adjacent St George’s Chapel (2016).
Leonard McComb: The Bartlett Mosaics
One of many ovoid domes in the Cathedral which has been given imagery and decoration using mosaic. The works depict St Francis preaching to the birds and St Anthony to the fishes.
Ceri Richards: Windows, tabernacle and reredos
Ceri Richard's reredos and stained glass were conceived as a single triptych, abstractly flowing one into another. The tabernacle has more obvious imagery: the heavens, the chalice and the cross.
Graham Sutherland: Crucifixion
Graham Sutherland's Crucifixion, unveiled in 1963, was the third he had created for a church and the first and only commission that he received from a Roman Catholic Church, despite being a Catholic himself. It taps another theme found within the revival of sacred art, a focus on the horror of crucifixion. For Sutherland this derives from reflection on the terror inherent in both Grünewald’s Isenheim altarpiece and the reality of the Holocaust.
Giacomo Manzù: St Thérèse of Lisieux
In response to the invitation by the Westminster Cathedral Art and Architecture Committee to Giacomo Manzu that he should produce a low relief bronze wall panel showing St Thérèse of Lisieux for the Cathedral, Manzu submitted a sketch in 1956. This was immediately approved and the commission awarded. Manzu then proceeded to design and produce the bronze in Italy with casting taking place in Milan.
Jean Cocteau: Interior murals and altar
Cocteau completed the murals between the 3rd and 11th November 1959. The theme he chose to depict was the Annunciation, the Crucifixion and the Assumption. It is said that he spoke out loud to the characters as he was drawing them. While painting the virgin he is quoted as saying, ““O you, most beautiful of women, loveliest of God’s creatures, you were the best loved.
Susanna Heron: Still Point
Still Point is a meditative spatial work incorporated into the cathedral grounds. It has three associated parts: a stone element, a poem and a song.
Pietro Annigoni: Immaculate Heart of Mary
Painted in 1961 for the Church of the same name, Mary is depicted as the strong Mother of Mankind. The child, sleeping peacefully on her arm, represents humanity undisturbed by the chaos of the world, shown in the blazing explosion of the background.
Chris Eckersley and Gareth Neal: Re-ordering of the Sanctuary
Following a major refurbishment in 2010 it was apparent the reconfigured space lacked visual cohesion. Monsignor Curry wished to commission suitably qualified artist-designers to produce a new, unified scheme of furnishings.
Jonah Jones: Window, baldacchino and mosaics
Jonah Jones' concrete-glass window, baldacchino and mosaics are installed at the Catholic Church of St Patrick, Newport, Gwent. The large window shows the saint in purple archbishop’s vestments.
Ecclesiart is an online project that raises awareness of significant works of modern and contemporary art since 1920 in UK churches and cathedrals.
The selected works represent the diversity of high quality church commissions and reflect developments in artistic practice and ecclesiastical art and design. You can explore the collection using the tiles below or by using the Ecclesiart map.
We seek to encourage increased responsibility towards works which may be under-appreciated or at risk and hope that this selection of works provides inspiring and challenging examples of art in churches useful to any parish or individual wishing to commission a new work.
We welcome nominations of new works to be added to Ecclesiart. Please email us with a short text about why you think a work of art should be included with a short theological reflection on the work and its context (no longer than 150 words) and if possible please include images. Please note that we do not accept nominations from artists for their own work.
All permanent works shortlisted for the Award for Art in a Religious Context are added to Ecclesiart. For all other nominations, the Director and trustees of Art and Christianity reserve the right to select works which they determine as meeting the criteria of aptness to context, artistic and technical merit and appropriate theological meaning.