Christ the Pantocrator and the Ark of the Covenant
By Monica Sifert
Artist Statement
To be sure, Christ the Pantocharter is the central, striking figure of this painting: at once enshrined within the starry heavens and drawing the celestial bodies into His own course, this work foregrounds Christ’s omnipotence and majesty over His Creation. And it is Creation’s humble reply of obedience - indeed, Mary’s Fiat - figured below in the Ark of the Covenant that opens the compositional interplay between Christ’s authority and humankind’s position in the created order. Resting, therefore, as the antidote to Original Pride, the Queenship of Mary is here figured as the supreme example of obedience. In composing this painting, I took great inspiration from the Traditions of the Early Church, in which Mary is a consistent and powerful presence. I am also indebted to the depictions of the Immaculate Conception found in the dome of St Bernadette’s church, my home parish, as well as to the image of Christ in Majesty in the National Shrine, DC; these images transport classical representations of Sacred Scripture into present-day, at once making them accessible to the modern worshiper and sustaining a rich Tradition of holy art.
About the Artist
A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Monica Sifert gained her bachelor’s of Catholic Studies, with a major in English Literature and Philosophy from Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, a private liberal arts college in Canada. Since graduating, Sifert has worked as a Legal Assistant in both medical malpractice and corporate law. Sifert maintains a passion for classical arts and iconography and studied painting and drawing at the Sacred Art School Firenze, in Italy over summer 2023. A nationally commissioned artist, Sifert specializes in writing Icons; she takes inspiration from the intersection between Sacred art and Modern culture and seeks to explore the moral and practical import of sacred images in the lives of the Lay Faithful.
