sculpture
Basilica Museum
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| Object Name: | sculpture |
| Artist/Maker: | Hogan, John |
| Classification: | man-made artefact |
| Category: | communication artefact |
| Sub-category: | art |
| Discipline: | church history decorative arts fine arts |
| Material: | Carraran marble |
| Technique: | sculpted |
| Accession Number: | Noaccession15 |
| Origin-Province: | Province of Rome |
| Origin-Country: | Italy |
| Origin-Continent: | Southern Europe |
| Use-Province: | Newfoundland and Labrador Pre-Confederation Newfoundland |
| Use-Country: | Canada Dominion of Newfoundland |
| Culture: | Irish Italian |
| Cultural Context: | religious decoration and commemoration |
| Earliest Production Date: | 1854 |
| Period: | mid 19th century |
| Description: | This plaque has been done in Carraran marble and depicts Bishop Fleming administering the last sacrament to Bishop Scallan, as Bishop Scallan lay dying. There is also a Latin inscription on the bottom of the plaque. |
| Narrative: | On the West wall of the Basilica, midway between the entrance and apse, there is a sculpture in bas-relief which shows the administration of the Last Rites by Bishop Fleming to Bishop Scallan. This sculpture was posthumously commissioned by Bishop Fleming and was also carved from Carraran marble by John Hogan. Two conflicting accounts have been provided to explain why this plaque had been erected. This first, provided by Brother Darcy, suggests that Bishop Fleming had this sculpture made showing him administering the last sacrament to show that Bishop Scallan received the last sacrament instead of being excommunicated. Bishop Scallan was known for attending Anglican services while wearing his full Bishop's regalia, and as this was looked down upon by the Catholic Church, he was excommunicated. When Bishop Fleming received the order to this however, he chose not to tell Bishop Scallan, as Bishop Scallan was on his death bed at the time. Therefore, Bishop Fleming left money in his will for this sculpture to be made and displayed in the Basilica, showing how he did not excommunicate Bishop Scallan, but instead gave him the last Sacrament. The second account of why this plaque was erected was provided by Dr. John Fitzgerald and he suggests that Bishop Fleming, haunted by a legacy of division over his actions as Bishop, left 200 Pounds to Bishop Mullock to have a monument erected that clearly showed Bishop Scallan was still Bishop when he died. Thus, Bishop Scallan's mitre was included in the lower left hand corner so it could not be argued that Bishop Scallan was excommunicated. This is important, as if Bishop Scallan was not Bishop when he died, Bishop Fleming would not have been able to succeed him as Bishop, and Bishop Fleming's legacy would then be questionable, as would Bishop Mullock's. Dr. Fitzgerald suggests that this was not really a monument to Bishop Scallan, but instead was erected to silence those that doubted Bishop Fleming's legacy and to spare Bishop Mullock from embarrassing questions about his right to be Bishop. |
| History of Use: | This sculpture was erected in May 1854 in the Basilica Cathedral by Bishop Mullock, and is still in the same location. |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Number of Components: | 1 |
| Component Part Names: | sculpture |
| Subject/Image: | fine art sculpture religious sculpture |
| Inscription: | Here lies Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Scallan Bishop of Drago and Vicar Apostolic of Newfoundland. He died in the year of our salvation 1830, in the 69th year of his age and the 14th year of his episcopate. Erected, in honour of his predecessor, by Bro. Michael Anthony Fleming O.F.M. First Bishop of Newfoundland (translated from Latin inscription) |
| Institution: | Basilica Museum |
| Institution City: | St. John's |
| Institution Province: | Newfoundland & Labrador |
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