The Mural

George Mayer-Marton’s 1955 mural, “The Crucifixion,” uses the Byzantine method, combines mosaic and fresco. The Crucifixion at the Church of the Holy Rosary is believed to be the only known combination of fresco and mosaic artwork in a church building in the country. The artwork stands approximately 7.5m high and 5m across.

The original artwork also featured a mural depicting St. Mary and the Apostle St. John with a backdrop of cubist shapes potentially ‘a grey/blue cityscape or explosion of abstracted land or the night sky and heavens darkening as described in the New Testament

The mosaic is made using differently coloured smalti (handcrafted rectangular bricks of opaque glass) and glass tesserae (small tiles) inlaid with gold leaf. The mosaic tiles of the Cross are set within a bordering metal frame. The tesserae are laid in the Byzantine style, face or facetted into the wet lime mortar, and are angled to catch the light from the eastern roof dormer window of the Church.

The artwork’s unique blend of neo-baroque mosaic and modernist Cubist-influenced fresco was praised for its aesthetic and deeply personal depiction of Christian themes. The mural survived in its original location alongside only one other ecclesiastical mural by Mayer-Marton, as much of his work has been lost. He became a respected figure in the art world and contributed murals to Catholic churches and schools.

The Historic England report states: “The mural is highly unusual and possibly unique in this country in its striking aesthetic combination of neo-baroque mosaic and modernist Cubist-influenced fresco inventively applied to traditional Christian iconography in a deeply personal evocation of suffering and redemption.”

The background has been covered in blue paint, followed by a thin layer of gypsum plaster and overpainted with white emulsion paint. Trial samples of paint removal demonstrate the mural still remains largely in good condition.

The Significance of the Artwork

Mayer-Marton’s Crucifixion artwork stands out as an extraordinary creation by a renowned artist. Its imposing presence within the church captures attention as one enters, thanks to its impressive scale and artistic brilliance, accentuated by the glimmer of gold leaf on the tesserae in the light.

Numerous members of the arts and academic communities have expressed substantial support for safeguarding the artwork in its original location, advocating for a secure and sustainable future. Influential figures from these communities have written letters highlighting the artwork’s artistic significance and endorsing that the building becames listed.

Here is a glimpse at some of their statements:

“Among Mayer-Marton’s mosaics and other wall paintings are the Crucifixion of the Holy Rosary Church in Oldham with its extraordinary technique – the combination of a Byzantine-like mosaic and a fresco – with a high art historical value. … we believe this composition gives its audience an unforgettable memory of religious emotions. It is our responsibility to preserve and transmit artistic treasures for the next generations, as in the case of this mural too.”
Laszlo Baan, General Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Hungarian National Gallery

“Mayer-Marton offers us, in short, a richly symbolic dialogue of image, location and viewer, and past, present and future, and his imaginative approach in itself makes his Oldham mural worthy of careful preservation”
Prof. Claire AP Willsdon, University of Glasgow, author of ‘Mural Painting in Britain 1840-1940’

“The commissioning of a striking modern artwork by a Jewish artist filling the liturgical east end behind the altar in this otherwise modest modern church in a suburb of a small town outside Manchester is thus historically extremely significant”
Letter by Dr Robert Proctor, Senior Lecturer: Architectural history and theory, University of Bath (2020)

“It is an extremely powerful rendering of the Crucifixion, the beauty of the natural stone and luminous glass tesserae enhancing the spiritual message of Christ’s suffering for humanity”
Dr. Shulamith Behr, Honorary Research Fellow in 20th Century German Art, The Coultard Institute of Art

“…this unusual commission, combining the Byzantine method of ‘face mosaic’ and fresco by the respected émigré artist George Mayer Marton should be preserved….and has considerable historic and religious significance.”
John Lewis, Chairman, Public Monuments and Sculptures Association

“…Mayer-Marton’s work will come to be appreciated as a key asset in the country’s heritage of modern religious art”
Prof Aaron Rosen, Professor of Sacred Traditions and the Arts, King’s College London

The artwork has major historical significance because it has been created by a prominent artist George Mayer-Marton and it stands as the only known piece in the country that combines fresco and mosaic techniques. Considered by some, including Braithwaite, the artist’s great nephew, as “his masterpiece,” The Crucifixion at the Church of the Holy Rosary is a testament to Mayer-Marton’s pioneering work.

Mayer-Marton is credited as one of the first artists to meld Byzantine influences with cubist imagery during the early 20th century. The Crucifixion is arguably one of the earliest examples of a large-scale, cubist-influenced mosaic and mural within an ecclesiastical setting in England.

Unfortunately, the mural’s concealment significantly diminishes its artistic integrity, meaning, and overall value. Nevertheless, there exists a strong possibility that the artwork could be preserved and restored given its current condition.