Today, Christians around the world celebrate the Assumption of Mary, one of the most ancient and revered traditions in Christianity. The solemnity commemorates the belief that the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, was taken into heaven, body and soul, by the angels of God.
Its origins trace back to the 6th century, when the celebration was known in the Eastern Church as the Dormition of Mary, marking her death and entry into heaven. By the 7th century, the term Assumption replaced Dormition in the West. Apocryphal writings describing this mystery appeared as early as the 4th and 5th centuries, notably The Book of St. John the Evangelist in Byzantine tradition.
The doctrine gained theological depth in the 12th century with the treatise Ad Interrogata, attributed to St. Augustine, affirming Mary’s bodily assumption. Saints such as Thomas Aquinas later endorsed the belief, which became a central element of Christian devotion. Though celebrated for centuries, it was not until 1950 that Pope Pius XII declared it an official dogma of the Church.
Art has long served as a bridge between faith and beauty in depicting the Assumption. Art masters such as Caravaggio, Titian, El Greco, or Rubens have each captured the moment when Mary is elevated toward heaven, often shown in prayer, surrounded by radiant angels. These works, rich in symbolism, sometimes overlap visually with depictions of the Immaculate Conception, reinforcing Mary’s purity and divine role.
Inspired by the vision in the Book of Revelation “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars” artists across centuries have ensured that the Assumption remains not just a theological truth for believers, but a lasting legacy in the history of art. Today’s celebrations continue a tradition that unites devotion, history, and beauty.
Assistant Lecturer at the University of the Basque Country