Heritage

Sophie Hacker’s new artwork, ‘a Sea of Glass like unto Crystal’, was installed into St Marylebone’s apse early March 2024. The piece is the only artwork in the church created by a woman and will be surrounded by the male-dominated apse painting by John Crompton. Crompton’s painting only features men: male cherubs, angels, and religious figures. Thus, this commission is an incredible example of female representation in both art history and the Church of England. Both Hacker and her artwork will have a significant legacy at St Marylebone, and this marks a turning point in the Church’s rich visual history.  

The inspiration for this piece is from the Book of Revelation Chapter 4, verse 6: ‘And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal’. The imagery in this biblical book is visually rich: jasper, rainbow, gold, emerald, burning, crystal. The Fibonacci Spiral provides the heart of the composition, a beautiful yet simple shape that is found universally throughout creation, from the uncurling fronds of fern to spiral galaxies.

The heavily textured surface of the piece provides a contrast to the flat painted apse. Marble dust, sand, glass and texture pastes gradually built up the image. Hacker chose the colours with great care: subtle warm reds to pick out the robes of Christ and provide a complement to the many rich greens; flickers of pale minty green to connect with the restored nave; deep brownish reds to work sympathetically with the marbles and other painted architectural features; and most important of all, a glowing, gentle space at the centre, the place of the deepest mystery.

Hacker built up multiple layers of thin, transparent pigment to create a sense of depth. She then added 23 carat gold to highlight its swirling structure and 24 carat rose gold in honour of St Mary, to whom the church is dedicated.

As part of St Marylebone’s lecture series, Hacker gave a talk about the commission, the creation process, her inspirations, and the installation. You can view this on our YouTube Channel here.

About the Artist:

Sophie Hacker specialises in Church Art.  She is an advisor for A+C, the UK’s leading organisation in the field of visual art and religion, and a Visiting Scholar at Sarum College. Since 2006 she has been involved in both the display, production and curation of artworks for Winchester Cathedral. She is an Artist Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass, and a member of the British Society of Master Glass Painters. Recent commissions include stained glass windows, chapel crosses, vestments and altar frontals, and ecclesiastical silver as well as a range of private commissions in sculpture and glass.