2015

SJ3589 : Holy Family Sculpture, Liverpool Cathedral

taken 9 years ago, near to Liverpool, England

Holy Family Sculpture, Liverpool Cathedral
Holy Family Sculpture, Liverpool Cathedral
This modern group of the nativity, with the composition arranged as a triangle, Joseph’s head forming the apex, the reclining Mary as the base, and the infant Christ held in the centre, is positioned at the eastern end of the cathedral, near the Lady Chapel. It was sculpted by Josephina de Vasconcellos LinkExternal link in 1992.

Josefina Alys Hermes de Vasconcellos was 87 when she carved this statue, which was installed in 1992. Based in the Lake District, she continued carving well into her 90s, actually completing her last major sculpture at the age of 97. She lived to be 100.

Much of her work is religious. It is to be found in cathedrals and other churches throughout Britain. Other casts of her ‘Holy Night’, in particular, are to be found in Manchester and Gloucester Cathedrals (LinkExternal link Manchester Cathedral News Dec/Jan 2012).
Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool

Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England Cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount. The total external length of the building, including the Lady Chapel is 207 yards (189 metres) making it the longest cathedral in the world*.

Built to a design by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, mainly of local sandstone quarried from the South Liverpool suburb of Woolton, the first part of the building to be completed, the Lady Chapel, was consecrated in 1910. Following delays caused by the First World War, the main body of the Cathedral was consecrated in the presence of King George V and Queen Mary in 1924. The central tower and west transepts were added 1924-42. Further work was hampered by World War II, during which the cathedral received heavy bomb damage. Scott produced his plans for the nave in 1942, but work on it did not begin until 1948 and it wasn’t completed until after his death. The completion of the building was marked by a service of thanksgiving and dedication in October 1978, attended by Queen Elizabeth II. It is a grade I listed building (English Heritage Building ID: 359401 LinkExternal link British Listed Buildings).

*The only church building to exceed it in length is St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, which however is not a cathedral.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Lady Chapel [15] ·
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SJ3589, 917 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
David Dixon   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Monday, 20 July, 2015   (more nearby)
Submitted
Friday, 24 July, 2015
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 354 893 [100m precision]
WGS84: 53:23.8097N 2:58.3784W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SJ 354 893
View Direction
East-northeast (about 67 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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