The Abbey Art Collection
Seek Things Above

Providing a window into the art world of Mount Angel Abbey.

Summer 2020 Virtual Exhibit: Lovely to Behold

What you will find here and why

For those who have experienced the renovated Saint Benedict Guesthouse and Retreat Center, the question may arise, “Where did the art come from and why has it been placed here? There is something different about it!” We hope there is. When Fr. Pius X Harding, O.S.B., guest master, and I discussed the final placement of art pieces in 2019 – 2020, it became apparent that Fr. Pius was working from a philosophy or a vision that guided choice and placement. Over the years, Mount Angel has been blessed with many people choosing us as a place to give their treasured art. I say this because, we had a number of very good pieces available for the guesthouse and a number of groups/individuals ready to help adorn the walls and renovated spaces. Yet, we were not interested just in décor. Religious art should not only be décor: that is, the right look, right color, right size, pleasant, or whatever. It is not decoration in that sense. Good religious art promotes spiritual insight, right doctrine, and sound theology, a soul’s experience, and support of one’s faith. This is what Fr. Pius told me as we began to sift art work to carefully place in this new and beautiful space provided by many generous and faith-filled donors. So, here are some of the pieces; more will follow in time. We now have nearly 100 pieces placed in the building. (Fr. Nathan Zodrow, O.S.B., curator).

The virtual exhibit was displayed through September 30, 2020.

“St. Benedict Reading”

4' high Wood Carving, 2020 – Upper Lobby
This image of St. Benedict welcomes guests on the Upper Lobby Level. Carved in Linden Wood, the Saint reads a book of the Scriptures. His capuche is up and he wears a long-sleeved robe while holding a crozier, the sign of pastoral care, in the crook of his left arm. A long, chained pectoral cross hangs from his neck. His face seems to be that of a young to middle aged man with a full beard and a tuft of hair peeking out from the hood. At his feet is the raven, holding a piece of bread. This creature is attributed with providing for St. Benedict while a hermit at Subiaco. The statue’s finish is natural with a light brown color. He stands on a platform carved of the same wood. The statue, carved in Italy, was commissioned through King Richard, Liturgical Design and Contracting. A gift of the Mount Angel Abbey Oblate Association.
“St. Benedict Reading”

4' high Wood Carving, 2020 – Upper Lobby
This image of St. Benedict welcomes guests on the Upper Lobby Level. Carved in Linden Wood, the Saint reads a book of the Scriptures. His capuche is up and he wears a long-sleeved robe while holding a crozier, the sign of pastoral care, in the crook of his left arm. A long, chained pectoral cross hangs from his neck. His face seems to be that of a young to middle aged man with a full beard and a tuft of hair peeking out from the hood. At his feet is the raven, holding a piece of bread. This creature is attributed with providing for St. Benedict while a hermit at Subiaco. The statue’s finish is natural with a light brown color. He stands on a platform carved of the same wood. The statue, carved in Italy, was commissioned through King Richard, Liturgical Design and Contracting. A gift of the Mount Angel Abbey Oblate Association.
“Westminster Abbey”

Watercolor, by Ludovica Mosca, 2020 – Third Floor
The Abbey of Westminster in Mission, BC, Canada, was founded September 14, 1939, the first daughter house of Mount Angel Abbey. This watercolor was commissioned as part of a set of 6 paintings representing the important genealogical relationships of Mount Angel Abbey. The artist, Ludovica Mosca, is a world class musician, performer, teacher, watercolorist, writer, and performance judge. She has performed at least twice at the annual Abbey Bach Festival. A longtime friend of the Abbey, Mosca makes her home in Barcelona, Spain. A gift of the artist.
“Westminster Abbey”

Watercolor, by Ludovica Mosca, 2020 – Third Floor
The Abbey of Westminster in Mission, BC, Canada, was founded September 14, 1939, the first daughter house of Mount Angel Abbey. This watercolor was commissioned as part of a set of 6 paintings representing the important genealogical relationships of Mount Angel Abbey. The artist, Ludovica Mosca, is a world class musician, performer, teacher, watercolorist, writer, and performance judge. She has performed at least twice at the annual Abbey Bach Festival. A longtime friend of the Abbey, Mosca makes her home in Barcelona, Spain. A gift of the artist.
“Christ’s Invitation”

18.625" x 21.75" Japanese Stencil Art, by Sadao Watanabe, 1973 – Third Floor

This print depicts Christ inviting Peter and James to leave their fishing boat and follow him. The disciples look intently upon Christ and he, with hand upraised, blesses them. The scene is set at water’s edge where four horizontal stripes suggest the movement of water. The piece is in a traditional Japanese style, employing a stenciling technique on momigami (crumpled handmade paper). Watanabe’s prints appear to be a combination of modern Western art, Japanese folk art, and Buddhist painting. And this is what they actually are. Watanabe had learned over many years as an apprentice the technique of traditional stencil dyeing, as used for kimonos in Okinawa, called katazome. Later the young man studied under Serizawa Keisuke (1895-1984) and under Yanagi Soetsu (1891-1961). His life spanned 1913 – 1996. A gift of a donor.
“Christ’s Invitation”

18.625" x 21.75" Japanese Stencil Art, by Sadao Watanabe, 1973 – Third Floor

This print depicts Christ inviting Peter and James to leave their fishing boat and follow him. The disciples look intently upon Christ and he, with hand upraised, blesses them. The scene is set at water’s edge where four horizontal stripes suggest the movement of water. The piece is in a traditional Japanese style, employing a stenciling technique on momigami (crumpled handmade paper). Watanabe’s prints appear to be a combination of modern Western art, Japanese folk art, and Buddhist painting. And this is what they actually are. Watanabe had learned over many years as an apprentice the technique of traditional stencil dyeing, as used for kimonos in Okinawa, called katazome. Later the young man studied under Serizawa Keisuke (1895-1984) and under Yanagi Soetsu (1891-1961). His life spanned 1913 – 1996. A gift of a donor.
“Death of St. Benedict”

Icon, by Br. Claude Lane, O.S.B., 2009 – Guesthouse Chapel

Depicts St. Benedict at his death, as described in St. Gregory the Great’s Dialogues. His arms are raised in prayer, with the crucified Jesus holding him up. The cross is pictured behind them, inscribed with "ICXC NIKA," that is, “Jesus Christ Conquers,” and the beginning of the St. Benedict prayer: "Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti." A priest and deacon are to the right and left, offering the viaticum of the Body and Blood of Christ. Angels above them hold the instruments of the passion: the nails, lance, and sponge soaked with vinegar on a spear tip. Br. Claude, a monk of Mount Angel Abbey, is an active iconographer, and has been teaching the technique for over twenty years. His goal has been to create images that reflect the theology, as well as some of the canonical and stylistic traditions preserved over the centuries by the Christian East. At the same time, he strives to adapt the art to the theological and devotional traditions of the Catholic West.
“Death of St. Benedict”

Icon, by Br. Claude Lane, O.S.B., 2009 – Guesthouse Chapel

Depicts St. Benedict at his death, as described in St. Gregory the Great’s Dialogues. His arms are raised in prayer, with the crucified Jesus holding him up. The cross is pictured behind them, inscribed with "ICXC NIKA," that is, “Jesus Christ Conquers,” and the beginning of the St. Benedict prayer: "Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti." A priest and deacon are to the right and left, offering the viaticum of the Body and Blood of Christ. Angels above them hold the instruments of the passion: the nails, lance, and sponge soaked with vinegar on a spear tip. Br. Claude, a monk of Mount Angel Abbey, is an active iconographer, and has been teaching the technique for over twenty years. His goal has been to create images that reflect the theology, as well as some of the canonical and stylistic traditions preserved over the centuries by the Christian East. At the same time, he strives to adapt the art to the theological and devotional traditions of the Catholic West.
“Last Supper”

Cast Cement, by Tomaz Misztal, 2016 – Principal Dining Room

This concrete casting of the Last Supper is finished with a dark bronze patina. The size and location of the piece suggests that the tables of the guests are an extension of the Lord’s table. Jesus is at center, with a warm halo of gold, while Judas is a dark image in reverse (concave) on the far right. Misztal, from the ages of 7 to 19, was an altar boy at a nearby monastery, serving Mass twice a day. “My introduction to sacred art was with these monks, decorating the church for Christmas and Easter. The understanding of liturgy, the meanings of the colors and shapes. That’s why I’m so sensitive to sacred space. From childhood, I know how the altar works. I understand it; I feel it.” He earned a Masters of Fine Art and Ph.D. from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland. Purchased from the artist for the guesthouse by the Mount Angel Abbey Oblate Association.
“Last Supper”

Cast Cement, by Tomaz Misztal, 2016 – Principal Dining Room

This concrete casting of the Last Supper is finished with a dark bronze patina. The size and location of the piece suggests that the tables of the guests are an extension of the Lord’s table. Jesus is at center, with a warm halo of gold, while Judas is a dark image in reverse (concave) on the far right. Misztal, from the ages of 7 to 19, was an altar boy at a nearby monastery, serving Mass twice a day. “My introduction to sacred art was with these monks, decorating the church for Christmas and Easter. The understanding of liturgy, the meanings of the colors and shapes. That’s why I’m so sensitive to sacred space. From childhood, I know how the altar works. I understand it; I feel it.” He earned a Masters of Fine Art and Ph.D. from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland. Purchased from the artist for the guesthouse by the Mount Angel Abbey Oblate Association.
“Last Supper”

Cast Cement, by Tomaz Misztal, 2016 – Principal Dining Room

This concrete casting of the Last Supper is finished with a dark bronze patina. The size and location of the piece suggests that the tables of the guests are an extension of the Lord’s table. Jesus is at center, with a warm halo of gold, while Judas is a dark image in reverse (concave) on the far right. Misztal, from the ages of 7 to 19, was an altar boy at a nearby monastery, serving Mass twice a day. “My introduction to sacred art was with these monks, decorating the church for Christmas and Easter. The understanding of liturgy, the meanings of the colors and shapes. That’s why I’m so sensitive to sacred space. From childhood, I know how the altar works. I understand it; I feel it.” He earned a Masters of Fine Art and Ph.D. from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland. Purchased from the artist for the guesthouse by the Mount Angel Abbey Oblate Association.
“Last Supper”

Cast Cement, by Tomaz Misztal, 2016 – Principal Dining Room

This concrete casting of the Last Supper is finished with a dark bronze patina. The size and location of the piece suggests that the tables of the guests are an extension of the Lord’s table. Jesus is at center, with a warm halo of gold, while Judas is a dark image in reverse (concave) on the far right. Misztal, from the ages of 7 to 19, was an altar boy at a nearby monastery, serving Mass twice a day. “My introduction to sacred art was with these monks, decorating the church for Christmas and Easter. The understanding of liturgy, the meanings of the colors and shapes. That’s why I’m so sensitive to sacred space. From childhood, I know how the altar works. I understand it; I feel it.” He earned a Masters of Fine Art and Ph.D. from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland. Purchased from the artist for the guesthouse by the Mount Angel Abbey Oblate Association.
“Pelican”

Enamel, by Gertrude Stuhr, 1915–1984 – Abbot’s Dining Room

This circular enamel plaque is bordered and mounted on a fluted gold-colored brass base. The enamel depicts a nesting pelican standing above and feeding three young chicks. The mother bird, with wings outstretched, rips her breast open to provide a stream of living blood for her chicks. Baby birds are looking upward and eagerly feeding from the mother’s side. Background is blue enamel. Appraiser's notes indicate it is a depiction of a "pelican in her piety”; it represents, more specifically, Christ feeding the Church with his own blood. Gertrude Stuhr, born in 1915 in Vienna, graduated from the University for Applied Art in Vienna. A gift of Archbishop Robert J. Dwyer.
“Pelican”

Enamel, by Gertrude Stuhr, 1915–1984 – Abbot’s Dining Room

This circular enamel plaque is bordered and mounted on a fluted gold-colored brass base. The enamel depicts a nesting pelican standing above and feeding three young chicks. The mother bird, with wings outstretched, rips her breast open to provide a stream of living blood for her chicks. Baby birds are looking upward and eagerly feeding from the mother’s side. Background is blue enamel. Appraiser's notes indicate it is a depiction of a "pelican in her piety”; it represents, more specifically, Christ feeding the Church with his own blood. Gertrude Stuhr, born in 1915 in Vienna, graduated from the University for Applied Art in Vienna. A gift of Archbishop Robert J. Dwyer.
“Mother of Sorrows”

Oil Painting, by Maurice Rocher, 1918–1995 – First Floor

This painting depicts Our Lady of Sorrows with hands clasped in prayer, with sorrowful face and head covered. The dark expressionistic piece conveys almost a sense of foreboding with its indistinct background, appearing to be neither sunrise nor sunset. The French painter, Maurice Rocher, worked both as expressionist painter and sacred artist, particularly in post-World War II Europe, during the period of rebuilding. The sacred arts revival during this time and before gave up the romantic images of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Artistic expression would never be the same after the tragedies of the War. A gift of Archbishop Robert J. Dwyer.
“Mother of Sorrows”

Oil Painting, by Maurice Rocher, 1918–1995 – First Floor

This painting depicts Our Lady of Sorrows with hands clasped in prayer, with sorrowful face and head covered. The dark expressionistic piece conveys almost a sense of foreboding with its indistinct background, appearing to be neither sunrise nor sunset. The French painter, Maurice Rocher, worked both as expressionist painter and sacred artist, particularly in post-World War II Europe, during the period of rebuilding. The sacred arts revival during this time and before gave up the romantic images of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Artistic expression would never be the same after the tragedies of the War. A gift of Archbishop Robert J. Dwyer.
“Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth”

Marble Sculpture, by Livio Lo Bianco, 2020 – Visitation Plaza

This exquisite Botticino marble sculpture was created by Livio Lo Bianco, a sculptor working for Barsanti Marble of Italy for many years. The sculpture of subtle off-white marble depicts a young, pregnant Mary visiting her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, who is also with child, John the Baptist. The two approach each other with great gentleness and love, reaching out and showing much respect. The meeting appears quite emotional in an entirely subtle way. The statue sits on a substantial base of granite. A gift of Stephen Zimmer and family, in memory of their beloved wife and mother, Liz (Elizabeth).
“Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth”

Marble Sculpture, by Livio Lo Bianco, 2020 – Visitation Plaza

This exquisite Botticino marble sculpture was created by Livio Lo Bianco, a sculptor working for Barsanti Marble of Italy for many years. The sculpture of subtle off-white marble depicts a young, pregnant Mary visiting her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, who is also with child, John the Baptist. The two approach each other with great gentleness and love, reaching out and showing much respect. The meeting appears quite emotional in an entirely subtle way. The statue sits on a substantial base of granite. A gift of Stephen Zimmer and family, in memory of their beloved wife and mother, Liz (Elizabeth).