Jump to content

The Golden Virgin: Difference between revisions

Add links
Coordinates: 50°00′13″N 2°38′53″E / 50.003611°N 2.648056°E / 50.003611; 2.648056
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m clean up, replaced: whomever → whoever
Beginning requested GOCE copy-edit; c/e 1st para header; tweaks to text, etc.
Line 22: Line 22:
}}
}}


'''The Golden Virgin''', a/k/a 'The Leaning Virgin'{{efn-ua|"Most [[Tommy Atkins|Tommies]] called it the ‘Leaning Virgin’ or the ‘Golden Virgin’. When the Australians arrived in July 1916 they had another name for it – [[Fanny Durack]] ... an [[Australia]]n female [[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|olympic swimmer]] who had won a [[gold medal]] in the [[1912 Olympics]]. [[Digger (soldier)|The Diggers]] thought it looked like Fanny diving into a swimming pool!"<ref name="Great">{{cite web |first1=Paul |last1=Reed|url=https://greatwarphotos.com/2012/10/11/ww1-landmarks-the-leaning-virgin-albert/ |title=WW1 Landmarks: The Leaning Virgin, Albert |accessdate=October 15, 2021}}</ref>}} is a [[Gilding|gilded]] sculpture depicting the [[Virgin Mary]] offering up the [[Baby Jesus]] skyward. Standing atop of the {{native name|fr|Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières}} [[Basilica of Our Lady of Brebières]], a [[Catholic Church]] in [[Albert, France]], it was sculpted by [[Albert Roze]]. After being nearly toppled by [[Artillery|shellfire]] in the 1916 [[Battle of the Somme]],{{efn-ua|"The Battle of the Somme was fought from north of the Somme river between the towns of Albert and Arras. The Battle began on the 1 July and was called off on the 18 November 1916. The Battle of the Somme is famous for the loss of 58,000 British troops (one third of them killed) on the first day of the battle, 1 July 1916, which to this day remains a one-day record."<ref name="Victoria"/>}} it became a symbol of resilience and a great visual [[secular icon|icon]] during [[World War I]]. The original statue was damaged and leaning in 1915 and went missing when it finally fell in 1918 as a result of the ultimate British bombardment. The detruction was elevated to mythical proportions.<ref name="Victoria">{{cite web |url=https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/1703721 |title=Item MM 120129 Photograph - 'Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières', Albert, France, Sergeant John Lord, World War I, 1916 |publisher=[[Museums Victoria]] |accessdate=October 15, 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Aonghais|2014|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7wfZBQAAQBAJ&q=the+golden+virgin+french+engineers&pg=PA381 380-381]}}{{sfn|Holt|Holt|Gilbert|2008|p=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Major_Mrs_Holt_s_Battlefield_Guide_to_th/DaKaBQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT116 116]}}<ref name=Illustrated>{{cite book |url=
'''The Golden Virgin''', which is also known as '''The Leaning Virgin'''{{efn-ua|"Most [[Tommy Atkins|Tommies]] called it the ‘Leaning Virgin’ or the ‘Golden Virgin’. When the Australians arrived in July 1916 they had another name for it – Fanny Durack&nbsp;... an Australian female Olympic swimmer who had won a gold medal in the 1912 Olympics. The Diggers thought it looked like Fanny diving into a swimming pool!"<ref name="Great">{{cite web |first1=Paul |last1=Reed|url=https://greatwarphotos.com/2012/10/11/ww1-landmarks-the-leaning-virgin-albert/ |title=WW1 Landmarks: The Leaning Virgin, Albert |accessdate=October 15, 2021}}</ref>}} is a [[Gilding|gilded]] sculpture the depicts the [[Virgin Mary]] offering up [[Baby Jesus]] skyward. The sculpture stands atop the {{native name|fr|Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières}} [[Basilica of Our Lady of Brebières]], a [[Catholic Church]] in [[Albert, France]]. It was sculpted by [[Albert Roze]] and was nearly toppled by [[Artillery|shellfire]] in the 1916 [[Battle of the Somme]].{{efn-ua|"The Battle of the Somme was fought from north of the Somme river between the towns of Albert and Arras. The Battle began on the 1 July and was called off on the 18 November 1916. The Battle of the Somme is famous for the loss of 58,000 British troops (one third of them killed) on the first day of the battle, 1 July 1916, which to this day remains a one-day record."<ref name="Victoria"/>}} It became a symbol of resilience and a great visual icon during [[World War I]]. The original statue was damaged and leaning in 1915, and went missing after it fell in 1918 as a result of a British bombardment. The statue's destruction was elevated to mythical proportions.<ref name="Victoria">{{cite web |url=https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/1703721 |title=Item MM 120129 Photograph - 'Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières', Albert, France, Sergeant John Lord, World War I, 1916 |publisher=[[Museums Victoria]] |accessdate=October 15, 2021}}</ref>{{sfn|Aonghais|2014|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7wfZBQAAQBAJ&q=the+golden+virgin+french+engineers&pg=PA381 380-381]}}{{sfn|Holt|Holt|Gilbert|2008|p=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Major_Mrs_Holt_s_Battlefield_Guide_to_th/DaKaBQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT116 116]}}<ref name=Illustrated>{{cite book |url=
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Illustrated_War_News/2KcKAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=RA10-PA7 |page=7 |title=The Illustrated War News |year=1916 |publisher=[[Illustrated London News and Sketch]] |language=English |location=United Kingdom |accessdate=November 16, 2022}}</ref>{{sfn|Gervais|2014|pages=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Silent_Sixtieth_100_Years_On/4lLjBQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA117 117-118]}}{{sfn|MacNintch|2007|pages=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Brother_Keepers/K_MgAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&printsec=frontcover 472]}}{{sfn|Samuels|2022|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/With_the_Ulster_Division_in_France/aAJ2EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT132 132]}}{{sfn|Cole|2016|pages=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Postcards_from_the_Front_1914_1919/LsR5DAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT119 119-120]}}{{sfn|Cooper|Leonard|2015|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/After_the_Final_Whistle/JsQSDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PP53 53]}}{{sfn|Ferguson|2008|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Pity_of_War/1Pp6BwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA88 88]}}{{sfn|Van Emden|2016|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Somme/oVKqCwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT102 102]}}{{sfn|Webster|2015|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mississippians_in_the_Great_War/moNqCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT91 91]}} Anticipated toppling of the statue was superstitiously ascribed as having an actual effect on the outcome of the war. It was [[Casting|recast]] and replaced.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Illustrated_War_News/2KcKAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=RA10-PA7 |page=7 |title=The Illustrated War News |year=1916 |publisher=[[Illustrated London News and Sketch]] |language=English |location=United Kingdom |accessdate=November 16, 2022}}</ref>{{sfn|Gervais|2014|pages=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Silent_Sixtieth_100_Years_On/4lLjBQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA117 117-118]}}{{sfn|MacNintch|2007|pages=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Brother_Keepers/K_MgAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&printsec=frontcover 472]}}{{sfn|Samuels|2022|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/With_the_Ulster_Division_in_France/aAJ2EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT132 132]}}{{sfn|Cole|2016|pages=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Postcards_from_the_Front_1914_1919/LsR5DAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT119 119-120]}}{{sfn|Cooper|Leonard|2015|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/After_the_Final_Whistle/JsQSDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PP53 53]}}{{sfn|Ferguson|2008|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Pity_of_War/1Pp6BwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA88 88]}}{{sfn|Van Emden|2016|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Somme/oVKqCwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT102 102]}}{{sfn|Webster|2015|page=[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mississippians_in_the_Great_War/moNqCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT91 91]}} The anticipated toppling of the statue was superstitiously ascribed as having an effect on the outcome of the war. It was later recast and replaced.


==Materials==
==Materials==

Revision as of 07:19, 12 February 2023

The Golden Virgin
The Golden Virgin Sculpture atop the Basilica [A]
Map
50°00′13″N 2°38′53″E / 50.003611°N 2.648056°E / 50.003611; 2.648056
Location20 Rue Anicet Godin, 80300 Albert, France
DesignerAlbert Roze
MaterialMetal
Height5 m (16 ft 5 in)[1]
Completion date1897
Dedicated toThe Virgin Mary

The Golden Virgin, which is also known as The Leaning Virgin[B] is a gilded sculpture the depicts the Virgin Mary offering up Baby Jesus skyward. The sculpture stands atop the Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières (French) Basilica of Our Lady of Brebières, a Catholic Church in Albert, France. It was sculpted by Albert Roze and was nearly toppled by shellfire in the 1916 Battle of the Somme.[C] It became a symbol of resilience and a great visual icon during World War I. The original statue was damaged and leaning in 1915, and went missing after it fell in 1918 as a result of a British bombardment. The statue's destruction was elevated to mythical proportions.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] The anticipated toppling of the statue was superstitiously ascribed as having an effect on the outcome of the war. It was later recast and replaced.

Materials

The sculpture was covered with thousands of gold leaves. Pope Leo XIII christened the church and seeing the Golden Virgin he called the basilica “Lourdes of the North.” The sculpture was fastened to the bell tower.[15] In 1915, it was leaning after 2000 shells hit the town and Basilica.[15] Engineers fastened a chain to keep it from toppling.[D]

Background

Photo from 1915 depicting the leaning Golden Virgin and the Basilica badly damaged from the shelling of Albert, France during World War I.

In 1915 during The Battle of the Somme, World War I, the sculpture was shelled and leaning past 90 degrees.[2][17]

In 1914 the Germans suspected there was a French observation post in the bell tower, so beginning in October 1914 they shelled the dome. By January 7, 1915, the dome was destroyed and by January 21, 1915, the base of the statue was hit and the statue "tilted alarmingly".[18] The sculpture was designed by French sculptor Albert Roze and in 1897 and it was placed atop the Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières. The sculpture depicts a golden colored Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ high above her head. Although artillery shells destroyed much of the town of Albert, the statue of Mary remained attached to the Basilica and badly tilted.[17]

Photo of the near complete destruction of the Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières taken after the golden Virgin fell and went missing in 1918. Photo by Brigadier General William Okell Holden Dodds commanding officer of the 5th Canadian Division Artillery.

Superstitious soldiers studied the sculpture daily - wrote about her in their diaries and remarked that she was knocked over... threatening to fall over at any time. The messages about the statue were passed between troops; and it was often said that it was a portent: “When the Virgin falls, the war will end.”. Soldiers also said whoever knocked the statue down would lose the war.[E]

The statue became a symbol to British and German troops as soldiers remarked that the Virgin Mary was keeping the baby Christ from falling.[20] By 1918 the German troops occupied the city of Albert, and the British shelled the Basilique to deprive the Germans of the high position, and the statue finally was toppled. The statue was never recovered.[1][18] Coincidentally, WWI ended November 11, 1918.[21]

As was reported at the time:

”It was the tradition of the French peasants that when the Virgin fell the war would come to an end. It is said that an Australian gunner finally brought it down. At any rate, when the Germans were beaten back at end end of the last Allied offensive and Albert was retaken, the tower and statute had fallen in ruins. The peasants believe that the luck of the Germans had deserted them when the Virgin of Albert fell. From that day the power of the enemy waned, and this leaning statue certainly marked the high tide of the German invasion.”[22]

Residents discussed placing the sculpture in her famous war-time pose. They eventually decided to place her in her original standing pose.[1] The sculpture of the Golden Virgin was recast 1929[15] and fitted atop the 76 m (249 ft 4 in) bell tower during the reconstruction of the Basilica.[23]

The photo of leaning virgin was a fascination for many, and soldiers took photos: it appeared on many postcards at the time.[2][19] The actions of French engineers in shoring it up continue to be a source of amazement. Over one hundred years later, it remains a symbol and metaphor for the triumph of good over evil.[24][F] It is a landmark,[2] tourist attraction[26] and an artistic inspiration.[27]

In 1957, and thereafter in many subsequent editions, the events surrounding the church and its sculpture were the subject of a popular novel by Henry Williamson, titled The Golden Virgin, being Volume 6 of the A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight series. It was selected as a Daily Mail Book of the Month. [28]

Celebrations

On September 8, a novena is celebrated to honor the Leaning Virgin.[29][30][31]

  • 1915-1917, Havoc of War - Ruins - France - Cities - A - Church of Notre Dame at Albert, France - War Department
    1915-1917, Havoc of War - Ruins - France - Cities - A - Church of Notre Dame at Albert, France - War Department
  • 1914–1917, Daily Mail Official War Photograph, "The Church at Albert". "Passed by Censor" and "The Germans bombardment caused this strange bending downwards of the Virgin and Child on Albert Church tower."
    1914–1917, Daily Mail Official War Photograph, "The Church at Albert". "Passed by Censor" and "The Germans bombardment caused this strange bending downwards of the Virgin and Child on Albert Church tower."
  • 1915, View of the ruins of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières in Albert
    1915, View of the ruins of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières in Albert
  • 1917, Item is a photograph from an album of World War One-related photographs in the William Okell Holden Dodds fonds. Brigadier General Dodds
    1917, Item is a photograph from an album of World War One-related photographs in the William Okell Holden Dodds fonds. Brigadier General Dodds
  • 1918, Side view of the heavily bomb-damaged La Basilique in the city of Albert, France
    1918, Side view of the heavily bomb-damaged La Basilique in the city of Albert, France
  • 8/1918, British cavalry passing the ruins of Albert cathedral, France, during World War I
    8/1918, British cavalry passing the ruins of Albert cathedral, France, during World War I
  • 1918, Photograph from an album of World War One-related photographs in the William Okell Holden Dodds fonds
    1918, Photograph from an album of World War One-related photographs in the William Okell Holden Dodds fonds
  • 1914-1917 Havoc of War Ruins France Cities Cathedral ruined by German Artillery
    1914-1917 Havoc of War Ruins France Cities Cathedral ruined by German Artillery
  • 1914-1918 Soldiers in front of the Notre-Dame de Brebières Basilica in Albert
    1914-1918 Soldiers in front of the Notre-Dame de Brebières Basilica in Albert

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières with The Golden Virgin atop of the bell tower. The sculpture was created by Albert Roze and subsequently destroyed and lost during World War I.
  2. ^ "Most Tommies called it the ‘Leaning Virgin’ or the ‘Golden Virgin’. When the Australians arrived in July 1916 they had another name for it – Fanny Durack ... an Australian female Olympic swimmer who had won a gold medal in the 1912 Olympics. The Diggers thought it looked like Fanny diving into a swimming pool!"[2]
  3. ^ "The Battle of the Somme was fought from north of the Somme river between the towns of Albert and Arras. The Battle began on the 1 July and was called off on the 18 November 1916. The Battle of the Somme is famous for the loss of 58,000 British troops (one third of them killed) on the first day of the battle, 1 July 1916, which to this day remains a one-day record."[3]
  4. ^ Some credit French Engineers.[16] Other sources say it was either the British or the French who secured the statue with a thick cable.[4] The mixup/discrepancy is understandable amidst the maelstrom and hindered battlefield observation or recording. It is perhaps attributable to The fog of war.
  5. ^ "No one wanted it to remain what it literally was, merely an accidentally damaged third-rate gilded metal statue now so tenuously fixed to its tower that it might fall any moment. Myth busily attached portent[i]ous meaning to it."[19][15][17]
  6. ^ The Golden Virgin and "flying baby" statue was recast and placed upon the reconstructed basilica.[25]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Holt & Holt 2016, p. 368.
  2. ^ a b c d Reed, Paul. "WW1 Landmarks: The Leaning Virgin, Albert". Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Item MM 120129 Photograph - 'Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières', Albert, France, Sergeant John Lord, World War I, 1916". Museums Victoria. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Aonghais 2014, pp. 380-381.
  5. ^ Holt, Holt & Gilbert 2008, p. 116.
  6. ^ The Illustrated War News. United Kingdom: Illustrated London News and Sketch. 1916. p. 7. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  7. ^ Gervais 2014, pp. 117-118.
  8. ^ MacNintch 2007, pp. 472.
  9. ^ Samuels 2022, p. 132.
  10. ^ Cole 2016, pp. 119-120.
  11. ^ Cooper & Leonard 2015, p. 53.
  12. ^ Ferguson 2008, p. 88.
  13. ^ Van Emden 2016, p. 102.
  14. ^ Webster 2015, p. 91.
  15. ^ a b c d Daubs, Katie (October 15, 2018). "'When the Virgin falls, the war will end'". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  16. ^ Middlebrook 2018, p. 51.
  17. ^ a b c Walsh 2011, p. 177.
  18. ^ a b Sumner 2018, p. 45.
  19. ^ a b Fussell & Winter 2013, pp. 131–135.
  20. ^ Neiberg 2014, p. 39.
  21. ^ "Armistice Day: World War I ends". History. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  22. ^ Edgar, William G. (November 23, 1918). Victory at the British Front. p. 580. Retrieved November 16, 2022. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  23. ^ David, Samantha (March 2, 2021). "€180million facelift for WW1 bombarded French basilica". The Connexion. English Language Media. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  24. ^ Part-time Priest (November 7, 2015), Sermon: The Leaning Virgin
  25. ^ "Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières, Albert, France". Retrieved October 14, 2021. A graceful building, topped with a golden Virgin and "flying baby."
  26. ^ Bailey 2014, p. 194.
  27. ^ Miller, Francis Trevelyan; Muirhead Bone, artist (1918). "Church of Notre Dame de Brebières in Albert, France — The Leaning Virgin from an etching by Muirhead Bone". Journal of American History: 14, 68. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  28. ^ Williamson, Henry. "The Golden Virgin (Vol. 6, A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight)". The Henry Williamson Society. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  29. ^ Ziolkowski 2018, p. 24, 189.
  30. ^ Roy 2005, p. 76.
  31. ^ Santoro 2011, p. 171.

,

Bibliogaphy

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=The_Golden_Virgin&oldid=1138898885"