For our final look at the Chapel of the Risen Christ, we’ll examine the various works of art commissioned for the interior. First up is a Pietà sculpted by Christopher Alles. I couldn’t help but notice that the sculpture group bears a striking similarity to the figure of Nicodemus and Christ from Michelangelo’s late Bandini Pietà on display in Florence with the Virgin Mary substituted in for the male saint. It’s a lesser known work by the Florentine master, but is one of my favorite works; the last time I saw it people weren’t even looking at in the crowded museum!
The Crucifixion is by the sculptor Nicholas Ring, and I also found it interesting.
I see some influences from Michelangelo again, but also from the woodcut prints of Albrecht Dürer. Perhaps what is most noticeable is a much more evocative Christ, as opposed to a more restrained figure that we see in most crucifixion scenes.
The altar is made up of three giant blocks of granite and uses the texture of the stone for ornament, sitting directly under the round skylight above.
The tabernacle, where the host is kept was created by Sherri Jaudes, and harkens back to the Burning Bush witnessed by Moses. As mentioned before, there are links made in the Bible between Moses and Christ, so it is a logical use of iconography. (The Sistine Chapel has a lesser known series of frescoes below Michelangelo’s ceiling that compare the life of Moses and Christ by various Florentine painters.)
The tabernacle is made of wood and gold leaf.
It’s really pretty spectacular to look at up close.
I also took some details of individual panes of stained glass by Emil Frei & Associates, which you can see below.
