The Mosaics of Count Alexander von Svoboda in Mount Saint Joseph, London, Ontario

Anyone visiting the beautiful chapel of the old Sisters of Saint Joseph Motherhouse (now Windemere on the Mount Retirement Residence) is stuck by the size and the beauty of this wonderful structure. The Italian marbles, coffered ceiling, carved woodwork, and vibrantly coloured stained glass from Florence, Italy are all very impressive.

The aspect of the chapel that I would like to focus on today is the stunning mosaic that can be seen in the ceiling of the sanctuary area.  Here is a photo that shows the division between the coffered ceiling of the nave into the mosaic ceiling of the sanctuary.  

What many people don't know is the amazing history behind the man who created this beautiful work of art.  

Count Alexander von Svoboda was born in Vienna, Austria in 1929.  Following a childhood of privilege, wealth, and art school, Count von Svoboda entered service with the Nazi army in World War II at the age of 15.  He was eventually captured by the Russian army and sent to a work camp in Siberia.  Soon after, he engineered a daring escape, and made a daunting 6,000 mile trek back to Austria.  In Austria, Count von Svoboda befriended a group of American soldiers, which led to him being employed as an interpreter for General George S. Patton. With his considerable art  and architecture skills, von Svoboda then worked for the U.S. Army as a designer of hospitals and chapels across Europe after the War.  Realizing that Europe was too small for his artistic ambitions, von Svoboda moved to Toronto, Canada, where he worked on sculptures and mosaics, specializing in a type of classical mosaic technique developed in Italy known as "Smalti", which he mastered and brought to North America.  Smalti is a type of molten glass that is fired and pressed into flat pancakes in a furnace, then coloured and processed using a secret method passed down from generation to generation.  To create the mosaic, the glass tiles are glued upside-down on a paper pattern of the mosaic, then applied to fresh cement on the wall or ceiling.  After each square-foot section is applied to the cement, the paper is then slowly removed using water. 

It is truly amazing how the circumstances led to this wonderful piece of art being created in London, Ontario, Canada.  Here are some of my photos of this glorious work.

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