Immaculate Heart of Mary

Pietro Annigoni

Hayes, Middlesex.

This picture of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was painted by PIETRO ANNIGONI in 1961 for the church of that name in the pastoral care of the Claretian Missionaries (Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) in Hayes, Middlesex.

The masterpiece measures 5½m x 3m. Mary is depicted as the strong Mother of Mankind. The child, sleeping peacefully on her arm, represents humanity undisturbed by the chaos of the world, shown in the blazing explosion of the background.

Mary's foot crushes the serpent (Genesis 3:16). New branches spring from the dead log. The dove with an olive branch, symbol of peace, in its beak is alighting and the pylons and factories in the distance remind us of the industrial area in which the church is situated and that Mary too, like all of us, had to work...... 'by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread' (Genesis 3:19).

During a recent perusal of an old Hayes Bulletin a parishioner came across the following exert:

"The picture was painted in Florence, Italy and took nine months to complete. Over 800 pure gold leaves, each 5ins. x 4ins., were used to combat the effect of sunlight pouring through the stained glass windows at the side of the sanctuary.

It arrived in England just after Easter 1962 and it took a week to prepare the frame, and with the use of scaffolding and tackle, raise the picture to its exalted position above the high altar. This delicate operation was carried out by workmen from the National Gallery under the expert eye of Annigoni who supervised this and the framing of the picture in a frame specially treated to preserve the picture from damp and other atmospheric extremes."

Parish Bulletin of June 1962

In 2001 a conservator of fine art, oil paintings, wall paintings and decorative ornaments visited our church to studied the painting. On close inspection, it became very evident that the painting that was erected in 1962, is badly in need of cleaning and attention to ensure its preservation. We have, since then, been raising funds to try to meet the expense.