The Christ in Majesty is the frontispiece from the Vivian Bible, an illuminated manuscript. It portrays Christ and the four evangelists; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John writing the new testament. Christ rests in the center of the piece, floating in a spherical shape. Christ stands weightlessly on a globe which is meant to represent the Earth. He is frontal and his proportion is more reminiscent of early Egyptian style than Classical. He is clothed in a golden robe and has a golden halo surrounding him. The use of the color gold suggest importance and spirituality.
He is surrounded by the icons of the evangelists; the bull, eagle, lion, and angel. All three also have golden halos surrounding their heads. These also suggest holiness as well as affiliation with Christ. On the outer edges of the piece the four evangelists are represented in human form bent over manuscripts. The lower left hand evangelist cranes his head unnaturally upwards. One can surmise that he is looking to the heavens, to God, for inspiration. All are dressed in lavish garments and sit upon ornate thrones. It can be assumed that these are meant to evoke the rewards they will gain after death for their holy work.
The entire piece is dominated by three colors; gold, red, and variants of gray. These colors evoke both a mystical yet agitated quality. The swirling grey colors behind Christ seem to be a gathering storm, showing the powerful and potentially destructive powers of God. The gold coloring and leafing show the reverence the monks held for their God and his servants. Gold, a color often used for royalty, shows that Christ is the king of heaven and earth. Red adds to the frenzied feeling of the manuscript.
All the figures are connected by swirling shapes and colors. This shows the direct connection between the evangelists and Christ. While they are the ones writing the gospels it is apparent that Christ, at the center of the piece, is dictating the content.
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