The Ascension By John Singleton Copley Analysis

The Ascension by John Singleton Copley is an oil in canvas painting that depicts the ascension of Jesus to heaven. Copley derived his idea whilst in Rome as he studied Raphael’s Transfiguration of Christ. Copley’s work was at the heart of American Neoclassicism which was born out of the birth of the American republic. The Ascension differed greatly from Copley’s usual work of portraits, however maintains similar characteristics one would expect from work of this time. American Neoclassism has traits that stem from the ancient Romans. Thus, this shows correlations in with Copley 's work. Copley’s interpretation of the Ascension clearly orientates around Christ as the centre figure. Christ 's centrality is combined with a sense of awe and wonder which is created by using …show more content…
There is a clear impression of movement which is portrayed through several different postures by the apostles. Ultimately the apostles movement direct the viewers attention to Jesus as they are creating emotion in this piece from apostles weeping to overwhelming happiness. The movement of the apostles gives a mix interpretation of how they felt about the Ascension of Christ. A sense of joy and gratitude as they see their leader levitate from earth, the sheer variety in their stance and varying gestures allows the viewer to interpret their emotions towards how the apostles felt of the Ascension. Moment is also a key factor in how Christ is positioned, the clouds around him create a sense of encirclement as they sweep around him almost pulling him up to heaven. Christ himself is in a unique position as he elegantly poses as he rises up. The angel in the bottom right of the fulcrum is also pointing up to jesus, adding to the idea of how all the analytic techniques Copley uses lead to Christ as the centre piece. The movement of the painting is constructed around Christ in order to further his importance between himself and the