Artworks at the Cathedral
The Song School Murals
Phoebe Anna Traquair
1852-1936
Wall murals
Renowned Arts and Crafts artist Phoebe Anna Traquair painted the inner walls of St Mary’s Cathedral Song School between 1888-1892. Her murals depict Benedicite Omnia Opera; a canticle celebrating Creation. The text encourages humans, angels, and all living things to praise the lord – ‘O Ye Works of the Lord, Praise Ye the Lord.’
Commissioned by Dr Cazenove, Sub Dean of the Cathedral and a member of the Edinburgh Social Union, the work was part of a wider philanthropic effort to bring deeper morality and meaning to art in the late nineteenth century. Traquair was inspired by the enlightened humanism of the period, literally and symbolically bringing together humankind, nature, and divinity by incorporating them all into her painted procession. She highlights the importance of biodiversity as a display of God’s creation, including a mass of flora and fauna on each of the walls.
This use of botanical imagery stems from a range of sources, including her Arts and Crafts contemporaries, the Pre-Raphaelites, and early Italian renaissance painters. All of these artists shared Traquair’s belief in the spiritual beauty and importance of nature. Today, St Mary’s Cathedral aims to uphold the importance of biodiversity in their response to the ongoing climate crisis. They are using Traquair’s visual celebration of nature to influence their ecological vision for the future of the Cathedral.
High Altar and Reredos
Sir John Aldrid Scott and Mary Grant
1811-78 and 1831-1908
Alabaster and marble
This monumental work consists of two closely integrated elements: a richly carved reredos and the sculptural marble relief set behind it.
The reredos was designed by Sir John Oldrid Scott, son of the architect of St. Mary’s Cathedral. Made of alabaster and coloured marble, carried out in a Gothic style, with a sculptural relief by Scottish sculptor Mary Grant. This depicts the moment between two of Christ’s final statements on the cross: “It is finished” and “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
The foreground figures are around four to five feet tall, giving the scene an almost life-sized presence. At the centre, Christ is hanging on the cross, crowned with thorns, and surrounded by his most faithful followers. To his left are the Virgin Mary and Mary, wife of Cleophas. On the right stands Saint John, looking at the viewer. Behind him is the soldier who was healed by Christ’s blood. Sitting at the foot of the cross is Mary Magdalene. On each side of the reredos is a statue of a Scottish saint: Saint Columba (left) and Saint Margaret (right), adding national resonance to this universal story.
Altarpiece I
Sir Robin Philipson
1916-92
Oil on canvas
Altarpiece I, painted by Sir Robin Philipson, is part of his series of Mexican Altarpieces. This painting was completed in 1971 and has been on display in the cathedral since 1972. Religious iconography was a common subject for Philipson as he produced a series of paintings on French cathedrals starting in the late 1950s and Venetian churches in the 1970s. The iconography of Mexican Altarpieces was inspired by his time teaching in the United States and exploring North America, with one of his most memorable trips visiting New Mexico. The church that inspired this output, El Santuario in Chimayo, houses the altarpiece that is featured prominently in this work.
The Millennium Windows
Eduardo Paolozzi
1924-2005
Stained glass (made by Phoenix Glass, Edinburgh)
The windows, which project dazzling colours over the Resurrection Chapel when hit by sunlight, utilised collage for the initial design. This was in line with Paolozzi’s background as an originator of the Pop Art Movement. Elements of Pop Art, as well as Modernism, can be seen in the use of vertical and horizontal lines which lead the eye up towards the Heavens; lines were said by Mondrian to be imbued with a significant energy that aids the viewers spiritual journey of vision.
The Assumption of Elijah
Ernst Degasperi
1927-2011
Acrylic on canvas
This painting displays rich, colourful symbolism associated with the fire prophet, Elijah. Painted in and gifted to the cathedral in 1976, the artist utilised both the Edinburgh skies and the deserts of Judea as inspiration. By its references to Old Testament prophecies, the artist’s aim was to bridge understanding between people of the Christian and Jewish faiths, in the hope that future relations between different facets of religion could be harmonious.