Renewed effort to preserve mural at Catholic church building in England
A conservationist charity is calling for the preservation of George Mayer-Marton's The Crucifixion, a 1955 mosaic and fresco work located in a church that was closed in 2017 amid a diocesan reorganization.
The artwork “is increasingly at risk of vandalism, theft, and the threat of redevelopment,” according to an Aug. 17 statement from Save Britain’s Heritage.
The 26 foot mosaic depicts the crucified Christ in front of a gold mandorla. It is flanked by paintings of Our Lady and Saint John on a background of blue ombré.
The fresco was painted over in off-white in the 1980s, according to Save Britain’s Heritage “new evidence has concluded that the fresco remains intact under the paint and that it is possible to restore the mural to its original condition.”
It is behind the altar of the Church of the Holy Rosary in Oldham, about 12 miles northeast of Salford.
“This is an incredibly rare, well executed and important mural for Oldham and for England by a leading 20th century artist and lecturer – it needs protection and national recognition through listing and SAVE is ready to help find a secure future for it,” the director of Save Britain’s Heritage, Henrietta Billings, said.
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Photo credit: CNA, George Mayer-Marton Estate.
