Border Illustration with the Ascension of Christ, Keys and Fish

Netherlandish 17th Century

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an ornate frame with angelic figures and symbolic imagery. The central feature is an undecorated rectangular space surrounded by an elaborate border. Flanking this space are two winged figures, one on each side, each holding a vertical staff topped respectively with a ship and a cross-keys symbol. Above them, two cherubs are leaning into the frame from clouds, amidst rays of light. At the bottom of the image, the scene transitions into a pastoral landscape with vegetation.