The exhibition, says Joynel Fernandes, assistant director of the museum, puts a spotlight on the history of the cross, paintings and symbols associated to the passion, local traditions including the passo (passion) programme organised by the catholic community on the Sundays of Lent
Updated On: 2024-02-18 02:53 PM IST
Compiled by : Nascimento Pinto
Cross variants and the history of the Cross
The exhibition features unique representations of the cross in art, including symbolic vocabulary. It also explores the history of the cross – from an instrument of Roman torture to that of Christian devotion
The true cross reliquary
On display is a fragment of the ‘True Cross’, reputedly the relic of the wood of the cross on which Christ was crucified as discovered by St Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great, when she visited the Holy Land between AD 326 – 328
Vestments
Adorning the display are vestments (garments associated with the clergy and religious) in colours associated with the season of Lent. Dating back to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, they also feature images of the Crucifixion through some exemplary embroidery
The Forgiven
The highlight of the exhibition is a painting titled ‘The Forgiven’ rendered in 1939 by W.E. Gladstone Solomon (best known for his contribution to ‘Bombay Revivalism’ as well as his service as Director of the J. J. School of Arts and as Curator at the CSMVS Museum. The painting was restored by the CSMVS Museum Art Conservation Centre
The Last Supper
A modern take on the famous theme, the art-work display the Last Supper painted on a set of ceramic tiles. This was painted by the artist N. Panchal in 1964.
For art and history enthusiasts in the city or visiting, the exhibition is open throughout Lent till March 27, on prior appointment. To book a visit or for further details, visitors can contact the Museum via email on archdiocesanheritagecommittee@gmail.com or their Instagram handle, @ahm.mumbai.
