Fragment van een missaal: initiaal A met hemelvaart van Christus 1342 - 1346

This fragment of a missal, an initial 'A' with the Ascension of Christ, was crafted by Lippo Vanni. The scene presents Christ ascending into heaven, framed within the letter. This motif, deeply rooted in Christian iconography, has its origins in earlier depictions of apotheosis in classical antiquity. In those ancient renderings, emperors and heroes were shown rising to the heavens, signaling their divine status. The gesture of looking upwards—seen in the faces of the Virgin Mary and the apostles below—reappears throughout art history, representing awe, reverence, and the human connection to the divine. The Ascension, however, is not just a scene; it's a bridge, connecting the earthly and the celestial. Over time, as the meaning of the ascension has shifted, it continues to resonate, tapping into our collective memory and the eternal human desire for transcendence.