When stepping into the Cathedral through its main door, the eye begins to travel down the nave, and the gaze eventually comes to rest on the high altar. As you walk closer, an imposing and intricate altarpiece reveals itself. It is a striking focal point of the space, composed of two key elements: a Gothic-style reredos and a sculptural marble relief.

The Reredos
The reredos was designed by Sir John Oldrid Gilbert Scott and executed by the London firm Farmer & Brindley. Carried out in a reddish-veined alabaster and enriched with white and coloured marbles for its more significant features, the reredos is rich in Gothic ornamentation. This stylistic choice is no surprise as Scott continued the work of his father, Sir Gilbert Scott, who was the architect of the Cathedral and associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival.

At its centre, a large pointed Gothic arch rises from the base, richly decorated with deep, detailed carvings. Within this central arch, two layers of trefoil arches (arches with three rounded lobes), one behind the other, create depth and rhythm. The back layer creates three openings by using columns made of deep red marble known as “emperor’s red.” Below the main arch, five round marble medallions are set into the stone. Each of these contains an angel holding an attribute of the Arma Christi (the instruments of Christ’s Passion): the lance with the sponge, the crown of thorns, the cross, the robe with the dice, and the scourging pillar with ropes. Above, the structure is crowned with a gable, a triangular decorative structure. This gable is adorned with a six-lobed floral design, an architectural motif known as a sexfoil and commonly used in Gothic architecture. The triangular shape of the gable is topped with detailed carvings of leaf-like ornaments called crocketsand four angels, and it culminates in a cross at the very top.

The flanking sections of the reredos are lower in height than the central part and contain niches intended for statues of saints. Together, these elements form a rich architectural frame for what lies behind.

The Marble Relief
A sculpted marble relief by Scottish sculptor Mary Grant is placed behind the reredos, on which she worked from September 1878 until June 1880. Carved in white Carrara marble, the panels form a basso-relievo, a sculptural relief in which forms extend only partly from the background, with no full undercutting. Grant used varying depths of carving: for the most prominent figures, she used a strong relief, almost making them stand-alone sculptures, while background elements are rendered in shallower relief. Most foreground figures are around four to five feet tall, giving the scene an almost life-sized presence.

The relief depicts a specific, affecting moment from the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It captures the brief period between two of Jesus’s final statements: “It is finished,” indicating the fulfilment of His earthly mission, and “Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit,” signifying His final surrender to God before dying.

At the centre, Christ is hanging on the cross, crowned with thorns and his head slightly turned to one side. He is surrounded by his closest followers who remained with him until the end. In the words of Grant herself, she shows “an entire oblation,” the total self-sacrifice of Christ.[10] The figures are portrayed not only with sorrow, but also with a spiritual understanding of the event’s immense significance.

Beneath the same arch as Christ, four figures are depicted in full relief. Left to the cross stand two women. The first is Saint Mary, the Blessed Virgin, whose posture and expression reflect the pain of a lifetime spent knowing her son would suffer. Despite this, she accepts it with devout submission and faith. Grant uses the following words to describe Mary’s deep sorrow: “the sword had passed through her own soul,” with which she evokes the prophecy of Simeon from Luke 2:35. Besides Christ’s mother stands Mary, wife of Cleophas, looking upwards. Her expression contrasts with Saint Mary’s and shows signs of heavenly joy: she seems to understand, even in that dark moment, the redemptive power of Christ’s sacrifice.

On the opposite side of the cross stand two men. Closest to the cross stands a soldier who is believed to have been healed by the blood of Christ. He is accompanied by Saint John, who is shown composed and dignified. He is not overcome with grief, but rather looks ahead with spiritual insight. This portrayal connects him to his future role as a prophet and author of the Book of Revelation, where he describes heavenly visions and the ultimate victory of Christ.

This central and most important group is completed by Mary Magdalene, sitting at the foot of the cross. She supports herself with one hand, while the other runs through her long hair that she once used to dry Jesus’s feet after washing them with her tears. Her expression shows her deeply aware of the mercy shown to her as a forgiven sinner, and she is lost in that wonder.

Moving outward from the central part of the depiction, the scene expands to include two additional groups of figures, viewed through arches on either side of the Crucifixion scene. Under the arch on the right, the Good Centurion stands in full Roman armour, holding a long spear. Watching the dying Christ with deep respect and worship, his words, taken from the Gospel of Mark (15:39), echo in stone: “Truly this was the Son of God.” This shows that even a Gentile soldier who was not one of Jesus’s followers recognised his divine nature in that moment. Standing just behind the centurion, another soldier seems contemplative, standing with his arms crossed and absorbing the gravity of the scene.

Under the left arch is a group of mocking priests. They offer a stark contrast to the group on the right, since the Priests represent those who rejected Jesus. They are shown in argument, with hands raised in debate or scorn, repeating the taunts from Matthew 27:42: “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” With this careful symmetry, Grant juxtaposes belief and disbelief, recognition and denial. The outer arches become a visual theology: a world divided by its response to Christ’s crucifixion.

Aove and behind the figures, a subtle background carved in low relief adds context and atmosphere to the scene. Roman soldiers cast lots for Christ’s robe, a direct reference to John 19:23-24. Onlookers stand quietly in the distance, watching the Crucifixion, while a shepherd and his flock offer a peaceful pastoral image that perhaps alludes to innocence and Christ as the Good Shepherd, even in the midst of suffering. Visual elements of Jerusalem, including its walls, set the scene in its historic and sacred geography. Besides the Holy City, natural elements play a role: hills, rocks, trees, and grasslands define the environment. It sets the tone for foreshadowing the natural disasters described in the Gospels, which accompanied Jesus’s death: earthquakes, darkness, and the tearing of the temple veil. Grant’s depicted scene is the moment when all of creation is holding its breath before the climax of this sacred moment.

On either side of the reredos, in the two side niches, a statue of a Scottish Saint is included. On the right stands Saint Margaret of Scotland, holding a model of a building, possibly referring to her founding of the religious sites of Dunfermline Abbey.[15] In the left niche is Saint Columba, one of the great missionary saints. He holds sacred writings in one hand, Saint Fillan’s crozier (a bishop’s staff) in the other, symbolising his spiritual authority and evangelical mission.

The Artist
Mary Grant (1831, Kilgraston – 1908, London) was, according to M.H. Spielmann, “one of the busiest of lady-sculptors.” Her artistic path took her across Europe: she studied in Florence, Rome, and Paris, and later in London under John Foley, who was one of the foremost Victorian sculptors. In 1860, she opened her own studio in England’s capital city. By 1866, she had her first work exhibited at the Royal Academy: a bust for her uncle, Sir Francis Grant, who also happened to be its president. Since then, she exhibited regularly at the academy until 1892. A commission for busts of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort in 1869 marked the start of her professional career as a sculptor.[21] Grant even visited Windsor Castle for a sitting with the Queen, and multiple commissions from Her Royal Highness would eventually follow.[22] From 1874 onwards, Grant worked in a studio built by Sir Francis Grant, and her professional life became increasingly busy. It was during this period that Grant created the sculptural relief and its two side sculptures for St. Mary’s Cathedral. Over the years, Grant did national and international commissions as well as exhibitions, through which she was able to establish herself as a prominent sculptor.

Grant was born into a distinguished family as the granddaughter of the seventh earl of Elgin and niece to two established artists, Mary Anne and Sir Francis Grant. Her uncle, in particular, was successful as a portrait painter and eventually became President of the Royal Academy and Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. Through her aunt Augusta, Lady-in-Waiting to the Duchess of Kent (Queen Victoria’s mother) and married to the Dean of Westminster, the sculptor had connections to Royalty and the Church.