Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven

The story of Christ is one that has been shared over countless generations by his followers and believers. Ever since his death and miraculous rising from the dead, Christ has been idolized and followed by multiple individuals.

As a result, most have tried to tell his story through the different generations using pen and paper in the form of books and even art. Below, we are going to have a look at an excellent example of how one of Christ's faithful, Fra Angelico, managed to share his story in a famous painting titled Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven.

Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven is a series of an altarpiece that was used to decorate San Domenico church in Fiesole near Florence. San Domenico was a Dominican church where Fra Angelico would go to make peace with his creators. As an associate of the Dominican order, Artist was never paid for his services to the church. Instead, he had a workshop full of assistants helping him. During his time, the artist also made various altarpieces called the Annunciation and the Coronation of the virgin. Both the two pieces are in Madrid and Paris respectively.

Currently, the main altarpiece of the series is in San Domenico in Fiesole. The piece shows the Virgin Mary and Christs as an infant seated on a throne. The two are surrounded on either side by multiple angels and saints like Dominic, Barnabas, and Peter Martyr. Initially, the altarpiece was a polyptych that is it was made of numerous separate panels, which were later assembled into an elegant frame. However, the pieces were later removed in 1502 by Lorenzo di Credi. The Florentine painter thereafter repainted the leading tier of pictures into a single image. Consequently, this showed the holy figures together rather than having them in separate panels. Currently, most of the removed altarpieces are in the National Gallery’s collection, where they attract many tourists globally.

From the painting, a figure is seen holding a flag. Surrounding him are various saints who are holding multiple musical instruments. Consequently, this shows that Christ is highly glorified and adored in heaven. Further, the painting also has Christ surrounded by numerous characters who are holding a trumpet; as a result, this shows that Christ is victorious over his battles. Lastly, the painter displays a unique imagination of heaven in his painting. Furthermore, he also gives us an exclusive visualization of how paradise is crowded with various saints and singers. Ultimately the painting could also be viewed by Christians as a scene of the Judgement.