Sealing the Tomb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sealing the Tomb |
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| Artist | William Hogarth |
| Year | 1755 |
| Type | triptych |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Subject | Sealing the Tomb |
| Dimensions |
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| Location | St Nicholas, Bristol |
Sealing the Tomb is a very large altarpiece painting by William Hogarth. It is a triptych, which means it has three panels. You can find this artwork in the city of Bristol, England.
The painting was ordered in 1755 for a church called St Mary Redcliffe. For a long time, it was hard to find a good place to show it because it was so big. It was even rolled up and stored away for many years!
Today, the triptych is displayed in the Church of St Nicholas in Bristol. After being hidden for a while, it was put back on public display in 2018 when the church reopened.
Contents
What the Painting Shows
This amazing artwork is made up of three separate pictures. The main picture in the middle is called the Ascension. It shows Jesus going up to heaven, and you can see Mary Magdalene in this scene. This central part is very big, about 22 feet tall and 19 feet wide.
On each side of the main picture are two other scenes. On one side is The Sealing of the Sepulchre, which shows the tomb of Jesus being sealed. On the other side is The Three Marys at the Tomb, showing three women visiting the tomb. Each of these side panels is about 13 feet 10 inches tall and 12 feet wide. All three paintings are set in beautiful gold frames.
The Story of the Painting
How It Was Made
The famous artist William Hogarth was asked to create this painting in 1755. It was meant to fill the back wall of the chancel (the area around the altar) in St Mary Redcliffe church. This was the only time Hogarth received a painting order from the Church of England. He was not a religious person himself.
The church leaders paid Hogarth £525 for his artwork. A person named Thomas Paty made the special frames for the paintings. The total cost for the artwork and frames was quite a lot of money back then.
Finding a Home for the Art
When the paintings were finished, they were actually too wide for the church! Because of this, the two side panels had to be placed at an angle.
Later, during the Victorian era (the time of Queen Victoria), people thought Hogarth's painting was not quite right for a church anymore. They tried to sell it to the National Gallery or through a famous auction house called Christie's. They even put an advertisement in The Times newspaper. But no one wanted to buy it.
In 1859, the painting was given to the Bristol Fine Art Academy, which is now known as the Royal West of England Academy. In 1910, they tried to sell it again, but still, no one bought it. The painting was so large that it took up too much space. Because of this, it was rolled up and stored away in the basement for many years. The museum officially bought the paintings in 1955 with some help from the Art Collections Fund.
Where It Is Now
Today, the painting is proudly displayed in St Nicholas in Bristol. This church was badly damaged during World War II by bombs. For a while, people even thought about tearing it down.
However, parts of the church were fixed, and a new roof was put on by 1964. The building was then used by The Corporation of Bristol as a museum. This museum showed church items and local history. It opened in 1973, and Hogarth's triptych was placed at the eastern end.
The museum closed in 1991, but the painting stayed inside the building, which was then used as offices. When the church was made sacred again in 2018, the three paintings were finally put back on public display for everyone to see.
