Carved figures in reredos by Sir William Goscombe John, 1860-1952. 1891-92. Gilded stone. St John the Baptist, St John Street, Cardiff. [Click on image to enlarge it.]
"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God" (Genesis 14, v. 18). In the architect John Prichard's beautiful designed neo-Gothic canopied reredos, Goscombe John illustrates the sacramental tradition, showing Melchizedek at the centre, holding aloft the communion wine and host, with Abraham looking towards him on the left (it was Abraham whom the priest blessed in this passage from Genesis). Beside Abraham is the young Isaac, and on the extreme left is Aaron. On the right are Isaiah with a scroll, and, from the New Testament, St Peter with a large key visible” by his knee. This unusual work is one of the treasures of St John the Baptist, the city of Cardiff's ancient parish church.
Related Material Including Other Works Featuring Melchizedek
- Close up of central figures
- St John the Baptist, the parish church of Cardiff, from Church Street
- Melchizedek, a stained glass design by William Holman Hunt
- Abraham is blessed by Melchizedek, Bible illustration by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
- Melchizedek Blessing Abraham, Bible illustration by A. Strähuber
- Melchizedec, stained glass window in St John the Baptist, Holland Road, Kensington
Photograph (2009) and text (2011) by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Bibliography
Imaging the Bible in Wales database. University of Wales, Trinity St David site. Web. 1 March 2011.
Created 15 April 2011
Last modified 12 February 2020