The Golden Virgin: Difference between revisions

*The Golden Virgin*
	The Golden Virgin Sculpture atop the Basilica
	50°00′13.5″N 02°38′53.1″E / 50.003750°N 2.648083°E
Location	20 Rue Anicet Godin, 80300 Albert, France
Designer	Albert Roze
Material	Metal
Height	5 m (16 ft 5 in)
Completion date	1897; 1918 Destroyed and missing;
Restored date	Recast and replaced in 1929
Dedicated to	Virgin Mary

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 13:17, 5 June 2023

The Golden Virgin, also known as The Leaning Virgin, is a gilded sculpture by the French artist Albert Roze originally completed in 1897 and installed on the rooftop of the Basilica of Our Lady of Brebières (French: Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières) in Albert, France. Regarded as a symbol of French resilience during World War I,^[B] the artwork portrays the Virgin Mary presenting Christ Child heavenward.

In 1915, German shelling knocked over the statue, and it nearly toppled again due to shellfire during the 1916 Battle of the Somme.^[C] After falling in 1918 as a result of British bombardment, the statue went missing. Its destruction took on mythical proportions, with the anticipated toppling superstitiously believed to influence the war's outcome.^[3] Eventually, the statue was recast and replaced in 1929.

Description analysis

The Golden Virgin was designed by French sculptor Albert Roze 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.^[4] The sculpture was covered with 40,000 sheets of gold leaf. It also was 5 m (16 ft) tall and there were 238 steps leading to the sculpture. More and more pilgrims continued to visit the site and Pope Leo XIII was made aware, and visited the site in 1898.^[5] Pope Leo XIII christened the church and seeing the Golden Virgin, he called the basilica the “Lourdes of the North”. The sculpture was fastened atop the bell tower.^[6] In 1915, it was leaning after 2,000 shells hit the town and Basilica.^[6] Engineers fastened a chain to prevent it from toppling.^[D]

History

Early years (1897–1914)

The sculpture was installed atop the basilica in 1897.^[4] By 1910, it was a landmark atop the basilica. The sculpture was a prominent landmark in the sixth stage of the Circuit de l'Est.^[9] Two pilots, Alfred Leblanc and Émile Aubrun, used the sculpture as a compass and it was referred to in a news article as the "famous golden virgin". In August 1910, one of the pilots, Aubrun, flew circles around the sculpture with his Blériot XI aircraft in order to get a closer look.^[10] When asked about his laps around the statue he said,

Not having occasion to see such a site every day, I made the best of it and examined the statue from near at hand making several circles round it.^[10]

In 1914, World War I had begun and 80 percent of the German Army had mobilized and were positioned on the Western Front.^[11] By the end of 1914, German troops held strong defensive positions inside France.^[12] In 1914, German forces suspected a French observation post was housed in the church's bell tower so beginning in October 1914, they shelled the dome.^[13] In 1915, during the Battle of the Somme, the Golden Virgin sculpture was shelled and left leaning at an angle of more than 90 degrees to the vertical axis.^[2]^[4]

World War I and later (1915–1929)

By 7 January 1915, the dome was destroyed and by 21 January, the base of the statue was hit and the statue "tilted alarmingly".^[13] Although artillery shells destroyed much of the town of Albert, the statue of Mary remained attached to the Basilica but was tilted at an extreme angle.^[4]

Many soldiers were superstitious and they studied the sculpture daily; they wrote about it in their diaries and remarked that it was knocked over and threatening to fall at any time. Messages about the statue were passed between troops; it was often said to be a portent; "When the Virgin falls, the war will end". Soldiers also said whoever knocked down the statue would lose the war.^[14]^[E]

The statue became a symbol to both British and German troops; soldiers remarked the Virgin Mary was keeping the baby Christ from falling.^[15] On 27 March 1918, The Golden Virgin was at the center of fighting. During the night an intense moonlit battlefield allowed the Germans to target British troops and target the sculpture.^[16] German troops occupied the city of Albert in 1918 and the British shelled the Basilique in order to deprive the Germans of the elevated position, and the statue was toppled. It was never recovered.^[1]^[13] By 28 September 1918, the sculpture was reported to have fallen and only partial walls of the Basilica were left standing. German troops had destroyed the building including the basement. German troops also set clockwork bombs which were timed to explode three weeks after they left.^[17] Coincidentally, World War I ended 11 November 1918.^[18]

According to 23 November 1918 report in The Bellman:

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 the beginning of the last Allied offensive and Albert was retaken, the tower and statue 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.^[19]

Residents discussed placing the sculpture in its famous war-time pose but later decided to place it in its original standing pose.^[1] The sculpture of The Golden Virgin was recast in 1929^[6] and fitted atop the 76 m (249 ft 4 in) bell tower during the reconstruction of the Basilica.^[20]

Legacy

A photograph of leaning statue was a fascination for many; it appeared on many postcards of the time.^[2]^[14] The actions of French engineers who shored it up continue to be a source of amazement. Over 100 years later, it remains a symbol of the triumph of good over evil.^[21]^[F] It is a landmark^[2] and a tourist attraction^[23] and an artistic inspiration.^[24]

The events surrounding the church and its sculpture are the subject of Henry Williamson's 1957 novel The Golden Virgin; Volume 6 of the series A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight. It was selected as a Daily Mail Book of the Month.^[25] On September 8, a novena is celebrated to honor the Leaning Virgin.^[26]^[27]^[28]

Gallery

Havoc of War - Ruins - France - Cities - A - Church of Notre Dame at Albert, France - War Department, 1915–1917
Daily Mail official war photograph, "The Church at Albert", 1914–1917
Official visit to the Western Front, with leaning virgin in the background, 1917
A photograph from an album of World War I-related photographs in the William Okell Holden Dodds fonds, 1917
Side view of the heavily damaged basilica, 1918
British cavalry passing the ruins of the basilica, August 1918
Another photograph from an album of World War I-related photographs in the William Okell Holden Dodds fonds, 1918
The basilica's interior, showing how it was destroyed by the German artillery, 1914–1917
Soldiers in front of the basilica, 1914–1918

References

Notes

^ Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières with the recast Golden Virgin atop of the bell tower. The original sculpture was created by Albert Roze and subsequently destroyed and lost during World War I.
^ Most soldiers in the British Army who were referred tom as Tommies, called the sculpture the ‘Leaning Virgin’ or the ‘Golden Virgin’. When the Australian troops arrived in July of 1916 the statue had already been hit by shelling and was slumped over; they named it – Fanny Durack: an Australian female Olympic swimmer who had won a gold medal in the 1912 Olympics. The Australian trench diggers thought the slumped over figure looked like Fanny diving into a swimming pool.^[2]
^ The Battle of the Somme was fought between the towns of Albert and Arras just north of the Somme river. It began on 1 July 1916 and was stopped on the 18 November 1916. The Battle is famous for the heavy losses of British troops: 58,000. One third of the troops were killed on the first day of the battle.^[3]
^ Some credit French engineers.^[7] Other sources say it was either the British or the French who secured the statue with a thick cable.^[8] The discrepancy is understandable amid the battle and hindered battlefield observation or recording. It may be attributable to the fog of war.
^ "No one wanted it to remain what it was: a damaged gilded metal statue now barely fixed to the tower and it could fall any moment. Soldiers spread a mythology among themselves related to the statue."^[6]^[4]
^ The Golden Virgin statue was recast and placed upon the reconstructed basilica.^[22]

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c Holt & Holt 2016, p. 368.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Reed, Paul (October 11, 2012). "WW1 Landmarks: The Leaning Virgin, Albert". Retrieved October 15, 2021.
^ ^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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Walsh 2011, p. 177.
^ Holt, Holt & Gilbert 2008, p. 116.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Daubs, Katie (October 15, 2018). "'When the Virgin falls, the war will end'". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
^ Middlebrook 2018, p. 51.
^ Aonghais 2014, pp. 380–381.
^ ""The triumphs of aviation, the circuit of the east by airplane"". L'Aérophile (in French): 386, 387, 391. January 1, 1910.
^ ^a ^b "Church Spire as Guide". London Standard. August 16, 1910. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
^ Stevenson 2004, p. 22.
^ Tucker & Roberts 2005, pp. 376–378.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sumner 2018, p. 45.
^ ^a ^b Fussell & Winter 2013, pp. 131–135.
^ Neiberg 2014, p. 39.
^ Gibbs, Philip (March 28, 1918). "Stricken City of the Golden Virgin". Salt Lake City Salt Lake Tribune. New York Times. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
^ "Statue at Albert". Saint Paul Catholic Bulletin. September 28, 1918. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
^ "Armistice Day: World War I ends". History. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
^ Edgar, William G. (November 23, 1918). Victory at the British Front. p. 580. Retrieved November 16, 2022. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^ David, Samantha (March 2, 2021). "€180million facelift for WW1 bombarded French basilica". The Connexion. English Language Media. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
^ Part-time Priest (November 7, 2015), Sermon: The Leaning Virgin
^ "Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières, Albert, France". Retrieved October 14, 2021. A graceful building, topped with a golden Virgin and "flying baby".
^ Bailey 2014, p. 194.
^ 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.
^ Williamson, Henry. "The Golden Virgin (Vol. 6, A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight)". The Henry Williamson Society. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
^ Ziolkowski 2018, pp. 24, 189.
^ Roy 2005, p. 76.
^ Santoro 2011, p. 171.

Bibliography

Aonghais, Clinton Mhic (2014). The Baker Boys. Bloomington, Indiana: Trafford Publishing. p. 380. ISBN 978-1-4907-3909-0. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
Bailey, Rosemary (April 2014). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: France (ebook). United Kingdom: DK Publishing. p. 194. ISBN 9781465421760. ISBN, 1465421769.
Fussell, Paul; Winter, J.M. (June 12, 2013). "Myth, Ritual, and Romance". The Great War and Modern Memory (Paperback) (New ed.). New York, New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 131–35. ISBN 9780199971954.
Holt, Tonie; Holt, Valmai (June 30, 2016). Somme 100th Anniversary (ebook). Yorkshire, England: Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 9781473866744.
Holt, Tonie; Holt, Valmai; Gilbert, Martin (2008). Major and Mrs. Holt's Battlefield Guide to the Somme (ebook). United Kingdom: Pen & Sword Books. p. 116. ISBN 9781783035090.
Middlebrook, Martin (April 1, 2018). The First Day on the Somme: 1 July 1916. London England: Penguin Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 978-0141981604. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
Neiberg, Michael S. (February 16, 2014). The Western Front 1914–1916. Oxford, United Kingdom: Amber Books. p. 39. ISBN 9781908273109. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
Roy, Christian (2005). Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia (Hardcover). Vol. 1. United Kingdom: ABC-CLIO. p. 76. ISBN 9781576070895.
Santoro, Nicholas J. (August 12, 2011). Mary in Our Life: Atlas of the Names and Titles of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and Their Place in Marian Devotion (ebook). iUniverse. p. 171. ISBN 9781462040223.
Sumner, Ian (November 30, 2018). The French Army on the Somme 1916 (ebook). Great Britain: Pen and Sword Military. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-52672-548-6. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
Walsh, Michael (September 30, 2011). Brothers in War. London, United Kingdom: Ebury Publishing. p. 177. ISBN 9781446446157. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
Williamson, Henry. "The Golden Virgin (Vol. 6, A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight)". The Henry Williamson Society. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
Ziolkowski, Jan M. (2018). The Juggler of Notre Dame and the Medievalising of Modernity: The Middle Ages. Vol. 1. Open Book Publishers. p. 24, 189.
Stevenson, David (2004). Cataclysm: The First World War as Political Tragedy. New York: Basic Books. pp. 560pp. ISBN 978-0-465-08184-4. OCLC 54001282.
Tucker, Spencer C.; Roberts, Priscilla Mary (2005). Encyclopedia of World War I. Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-85109-420-2. OCLC 61247250.

External links

Item MM 120230 Photograph - Damage to Golden Virgin, Albert, France, Sergeant John Lord, World War I, 1917 Victoria and Albert Museum
Visit Somme website
WW1 Landmarks: The Leaning Virgin, Albert Photograph
Stock photograph, The Leaning Virgin of Albert, France, A WW1 legend Photograph
Stock photograph, Albert, Picardy, France. Golden Virgin atop steeple of Basilica of Notre Dame de Brebieres after being hit by German shellfire

[1] Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières with the recast Golden Virgin atop of the bell tower. The original sculpture was created by Albert Roze and subsequently destroyed and lost during World War I.

[4] Most soldiers in the British Army who were referred tom as Tommies, called the sculpture the ‘Leaning Virgin’ or the ‘Golden Virgin’. When the Australian troops arrived in July of 1916 the statue had already been hit by shelling and was slumped over; they named it – Fanny Durack: an Australian female Olympic swimmer who had won a gold medal in the 1912 Olympics. The Australian trench diggers thought the slumped over figure looked like Fanny diving into a swimming pool.^[2]

[6] The Battle of the Somme was fought between the towns of Albert and Arras just north of the Somme river. It began on 1 July 1916 and was stopped on the 18 November 1916. The Battle is famous for the heavy losses of British troops: 58,000. One third of the troops were killed on the first day of the battle.^[3]

[12] Some credit French engineers.^[7] Other sources say it was either the British or the French who secured the statue with a thick cable.^[8] The discrepancy is understandable amid the battle and hindered battlefield observation or recording. It may be attributable to the fog of war.

[19] "No one wanted it to remain what it was: a damaged gilded metal statue now barely fixed to the tower and it could fall any moment. Soldiers spread a mythology among themselves related to the statue."^[6]^[4]

[28] The Golden Virgin statue was recast and placed upon the reconstructed basilica.^[22]

[FOOTNOTEHoltHolt2016[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidaRYDDAAAQBAJdqBasiliqueNotre-DamedeBrebiC3A8respgPT123_368]-2] Holt & Holt 2016, p. 368.

[Great-3] Reed, Paul (October 11, 2012). "WW1 Landmarks: The Leaning Virgin, Albert". Retrieved October 15, 2021.

[Victoria-5] "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.

[FOOTNOTEWalsh2011[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidEPOvl5vYpl0CdqBasiliqueNotre-DamedeBrebiC3A8respgPA177_177]-7] Walsh 2011, p. 177.

[FOOTNOTEHoltHoltGilbert2008[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidDaKaBQAAQBAJdqBasilicaofOurLadyofBrebiC3A8respgPT116_116]-8] Holt, Holt & Gilbert 2008, p. 116.

[TS-9] Daubs, Katie (October 15, 2018). "'When the Virgin falls, the war will end'". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 13, 2021.

[FOOTNOTEMiddlebrook2018[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidoVilX9ilLgkCqthegoldenvirginfrenchengineerspgPT51_51]-10] Middlebrook 2018, p. 51.

[FOOTNOTEAonghais2014[httpsbooksgooglecombooksid7wfZBQAAQBAJqthegoldenvirginfrenchengineerspgPA381_380–381]-11] Aonghais 2014, pp. 380–381.

[triumphs-13] ""The triumphs of aviation, the circuit of the east by airplane"". L'Aérophile (in French): 386, 387, 391. January 1, 1910.

[Spire-14] "Church Spire as Guide". London Standard. August 16, 1910. Retrieved April 5, 2023.

[FOOTNOTEStevenson200422-15] Stevenson 2004, p. 22.

[FOOTNOTETuckerRoberts2005376–378-16] Tucker & Roberts 2005, pp. 376–378.

[FOOTNOTESumner2018[httpsbooksgooglecombooksid_LPNDwAAQBAJqleaningvirginsouvenirspgPT45_45]-17] Sumner 2018, p. 45.

[FOOTNOTEFussellWinter2013[httpwwwenglishemoryeduLostPoetsFussellhtml_131–135]-18] Fussell & Winter 2013, pp. 131–135.

[FOOTNOTENeiberg2014[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidLSfuBAAAQBAJdqBasiliqueNotre-DamedeBrebiC3A8respgPT364_39]-20] Neiberg 2014, p. 39.

[Stricken-21] Gibbs, Philip (March 28, 1918). "Stricken City of the Golden Virgin". Salt Lake City Salt Lake Tribune. New York Times. Retrieved April 5, 2023.

[Statue-22] "Statue at Albert". Saint Paul Catholic Bulletin. September 28, 1918. Retrieved April 5, 2023.

[History-23] "Armistice Day: World War I ends". History. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved October 13, 2021.

[24] Edgar, William G. (November 23, 1918). Victory at the British Front. p. 580. Retrieved November 16, 2022. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

[rebuilt-25] David, Samantha (March 2, 2021). "€180million facelift for WW1 bombarded French basilica". The Connexion. English Language Media. Retrieved October 12, 2021.

[26] Part-time Priest (November 7, 2015), Sermon: The Leaning Virgin

[27] "Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières, Albert, France". Retrieved October 14, 2021. A graceful building, topped with a golden Virgin and "flying baby".

[FOOTNOTEBailey2014[httpsbooksgooglecombooksid1LMAAwAAQBAJdqLeaningvirginalbertfrancepgPA194_194]-29] Bailey 2014, p. 194.

[30] 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.

[31] Williamson, Henry. "The Golden Virgin (Vol. 6, A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight)". The Henry Williamson Society. Retrieved October 14, 2021.

[FOOTNOTEZiolkowski2018[httpsbooksgooglecombooksid42tgDwAAQBAJdqBasilicaofOurLadyofBrebiC3A8respgPA24_24,_189]-32] Ziolkowski 2018, pp. 24, 189.

[FOOTNOTERoy2005[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidIKqOUfqt4cICdqBasilicaofOurLadyofBrebiC3A8respgPA76_76]-33] Roy 2005, p. 76.

[FOOTNOTESantoro2011[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidZXWRgP-0KBkCdqBasilicaofOurLadyofBrebiC3A8respgPA171_171]-34] Santoro 2011, p. 171.

[A]

[1]

[B]

[C]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[D]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[2]

[14]

[E]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[F]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[7]

[8]

[22]

@@ Line 96: / Line 96: @@
 *{{cite book |last1=Aonghais |first1=Clinton Mhic |title=The Baker Boys |date=2014 |publisher=[[Trafford Publishing]] |location=Bloomington, Indiana |isbn=978-1-4907-3909-0 |page=380 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7wfZBQAAQBAJ&q=the+golden+virgin+french+engineers&pg=PA381 |access-date=13 October 2021}}
 *{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1LMAAwAAQBAJ&dq=Leaning+virgin+albert+france&pg=PA194 |page=194 |last1=Bailey |first1=Rosemary |authorlink1=Rosemary Bailey (author) |title=DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: France |location=United Kingdom |isbn=9781465421760 |id=ISBN, 1465421769 |date=April 2014 |type=ebook |publisher=[[DK (publisher)|DK Publishing]] |language=English}}
-*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LsR5DAAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT119 |pages=119–120 |title=Postcards from the Front 1914-1919 |first1=Kate J. |last1=Cole |isbn=9781445635217 |date=May 15, 2016 |type=ebook |publisher=[[Amberley Publishing]] |language=English |location=n Stroud, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom}}
-*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JsQSDQAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PP53 |page=53 |title=After the Final Whistle: The First Rugby World Cup and the First World War |first1=Stephen |last1=Cooper |first2=Jason |last2=Leonard |isbn=9780750965668 |date=August 3, 2015 |type=ebook |publisher=[[History Press]] |language=English}}
-*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Pp6BwAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA88 |page=88 |title=The Pity of War: Explaining World War I |first1=Niall |last1=Ferguson |isbn=9780786725298 |date=August 5, 2008 |type=ebook |publisher=[[Basic Books]] |language=English |location=United States}}
 *{{cite book |url=http://www.english.emory.edu/LostPoets/Fussell.html |first1=Paul |last1=Fussell |authorlink1=Paul Fussell |first2=J.M. |last2=Winter |location=New York, New York |title=The Great War and Modern Memory |pages=131–35 |chapter=Myth, Ritual, and Romance |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |edition=New |date=June 12, 2013 |language=English |type=Paperback |isbn=9780199971954}}
-*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4lLjBQAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA117 |pages=117–118 |title=The Silent Sixtieth 100 Years on |first1=Reginald A. |last1=Gervais |isbn=9781460254110 |date=December 17, 2014 |type=ebook |publisher=[[FriesenPress]] |language=English}}
 *{{cite book |last1=Holt |first1=Tonie |last2=Holt |first2=Valmai |title=Somme 100th Anniversary |location=Yorkshire, England |isbn=9781473866744 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aRYDDAAAQBAJ&dq=Basilique+Notre-Dame+de+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT123 |date=June 30, 2016 |type=ebook |publisher=Pen & Sword Books |language=English}}
 *{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DaKaBQAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT116 |page=116 |title=Major and Mrs. Holt's Battlefield Guide to the Somme |first1=Tonie |last1=Holt |first2=Valmai |last2=Holt |last3=Gilbert |first3=Martin |date=2008 |type=ebook |location=United Kingdom |publisher=Pen & Sword Books |language=English |isbn=9781783035090}}
 *{{cite book |last1=Middlebrook |first1=Martin |authorlink1=Martin Middlebrook |title=The First Day on the Somme: 1 July 1916 |date=1 April 2018 |publisher=[[Penguin Publishing]] |location=London England |isbn=978-0141981604 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oVilX9ilLgkC&q=the+golden+virgin+french+engineers&pg=PT51 |access-date=13 October 2021 |page=51}}
-*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K_MgAQAAIAAJ&q=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res |page=472 |title=The Brother Keepers: The Great War Odyssey of Sable MacInnes and His Brothers |first1=John |last1=MacNintch |year=2007 |isbn=9780978750503 |type=Hardcover |publisher=[[AquaDoc Publications]] |language=English}}
 *{{cite book |last1=Neiberg |first1=Michael S. |authorlink1=Michael S. Neiberg |title=The Western Front 1914–1916 |date=16 February 2014 |publisher=[[Amber Books]] |location=Oxford, United Kingdom |isbn=9781908273109 |page=39 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LSfuBAAAQBAJ&dq=Basilique+Notre-Dame+de+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT364 |access-date=13 October 2021}}
 *{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IKqOUfqt4cIC&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA76 |page=76 |title=Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia |volume=1 |first1=Christian |last1=Roy |year=2005 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |type=Hardcover |language=English |location=United Kingdom |isbn=9781576070895}}
-*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aAJ2EAAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT32 |page=132 |title=With the Ulster Division in France: A Story of the 11th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (South Antrim Volunteers), From Bordon to Thiepval. DigiCat, 2022 |first1=Dorothy Gage, A.P.I.S. |last1=Samuels |year=2022}}
 *{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZXWRgP-0KBkC&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA171 |page=171 |title=Mary in Our Life: Atlas of the Names and Titles of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and Their Place in Marian Devotion |first1=Nicholas J. |last1=Santoro |isbn=9781462040223 |date=August 12, 2011 |type=ebook |publisher=[[iUniverse]] |language=English}}
 *{{cite book |last1=Sumner |first1=Ian |title=The French Army on the Somme 1916 |publisher=[[Pen and Sword Military]] |location=Great Britain |isbn=978-1-52672-548-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_LPNDwAAQBAJ&q=leaning+virgin+souvenirs&pg=PT45 |access-date=13 October 2021 |page=45 |date=November 30, 2018 |type=ebook |language=English}}
-*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oVKqCwAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT102 |page=102 |title=The Somme: The Epic Battle in the Soldiers' Own Words and Photographs |first1=Richard |last1=Van Emden |isbn=9781473855229 |date=March 31, 2016 |type=ebook |publisher=Pen & Sword Books |language=English |location=United Kingdom}}
 *{{cite book |last1=Walsh |first1=Michael |authorlink1=Michael Walsh (author) |title=Brothers in War |date=30 September 2011 |publisher=[[Ebury Publishing]] |location=London, United Kingdom |isbn=9781446446157 |page=177 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EPOvl5vYpl0C&dq=Basilique+Notre-Dame+de+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA177 |access-date=13 October 2021}}
-*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=moNqCgAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT91 |page=91 |title=Mississippians in the Great War: Selected Letters |first1=Anne L. |last1=Webster |isbn=9781496802804 |date=September 8, 2015 |type=ebook |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |language=English |location=United States}}
 *{{cite web |first1=Henry |last1=Williamson |authorlink1=Henry Williamson |url=https://www.henrywilliamson.co.uk/bibliography/a-lifes-work/the-golden-virgin |publisher=The Henry Williamson Society |title=The Golden Virgin (Vol. 6, A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight) |accessdate=October 14, 2021}}
 *{{cite book |title=The Juggler of Notre Dame and the Medievalising of Modernity: The Middle Ages |volume=1 |year=2018 |publisher=[[Open Book Publishers]] |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=42tgDwAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA24 24, 189] |language=English |first1=Jan M. |last1=Ziolkowski}}
-*{{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}}
 *{{cite book |last=Stevenson |first=David |title=Cataclysm: The First World War as Political Tragedy |year=2004 |pages=560pp |isbn=978-0-465-08184-4 |oclc=54001282 |publisher=Basic Books |location=New York}}
 *{{cite book |last1=Tucker |first1=Spencer C. |last2=Roberts |first2=Priscilla Mary |title=Encyclopedia of World War I |location=Santa Barbara |publisher=ABC-Clio |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-85109-420-2 |oclc=61247250}}
+==Further reading==
+*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LsR5DAAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT119 |pages=119–120 |title=Postcards from the Front 1914-1919 |first1=Kate J. |last1=Cole |isbn=9781445635217 |date=May 15, 2016 |type=ebook |publisher=[[Amberley Publishing]] |language=English |location=n Stroud, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom}}
+*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JsQSDQAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PP53 |page=53 |title=After the Final Whistle: The First Rugby World Cup and the First World War |first1=Stephen |last1=Cooper |first2=Jason |last2=Leonard |isbn=9780750965668 |date=August 3, 2015 |type=ebook |publisher=[[History Press]] |language=English}}
+*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Pp6BwAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA88 |page=88 |title=The Pity of War: Explaining World War I |first1=Niall |last1=Ferguson |isbn=9780786725298 |date=August 5, 2008 |type=ebook |publisher=[[Basic Books]] |language=English |location=United States}}
+*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4lLjBQAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA117 |pages=117–118 |title=The Silent Sixtieth 100 Years on |first1=Reginald A. |last1=Gervais |isbn=9781460254110 |date=December 17, 2014 |type=ebook |publisher=[[FriesenPress]] |language=English}}
+*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K_MgAQAAIAAJ&q=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res |page=472 |title=The Brother Keepers: The Great War Odyssey of Sable MacInnes and His Brothers |first1=John |last1=MacNintch |year=2007 |isbn=9780978750503 |type=Hardcover |publisher=[[AquaDoc Publications]] |language=English}}
+*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aAJ2EAAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT32 |page=132 |title=With the Ulster Division in France: A Story of the 11th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles (South Antrim Volunteers), From Bordon to Thiepval. DigiCat, 2022 |first1=Dorothy Gage, A.P.I.S. |last1=Samuels |year=2022}}
+*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oVKqCwAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT102 |page=102 |title=The Somme: The Epic Battle in the Soldiers' Own Words and Photographs |first1=Richard |last1=Van Emden |isbn=9781473855229 |date=March 31, 2016 |type=ebook |publisher=Pen & Sword Books |language=English |location=United Kingdom}}
+*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=moNqCgAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT91 |page=91 |title=Mississippians in the Great War: Selected Letters |first1=Anne L. |last1=Webster |isbn=9781496802804 |date=September 8, 2015 |type=ebook |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |language=English |location=United States}}
 ==External links==

v t e Sculpture
Types of sculpture	Architectural sculpture Assemblage Bas relief Bust Effigy Gas sculpture Earth art Environmental sculpture Figurine Installation art Kinetic sculpture Mobile Monumental Pedimental Soft sculpture Statue Stele
Styles of sculpture	Baroque Classical Detonography Jain sculpture Modern sculpture Relief Renaissance
Elements in sculpture	Mass Negative space Space Volume
Traditional materials	Wood Marble Limestone Granite Porphyry Diorite Jade Ivory Clay Terracotta Bronze Gold Silver Butter Soapstone
Modern materials	Steel Ice Jesmonite Acrylic Concrete Plastic Fiberglass Glass Aluminium Fabric Paper Found object
Notable sculptures	Great Sphinx of Giza (c. 2558–2532 BCE) Abu Simbel temples (c. 1264 BCE) Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon (438 BCE) Colossus of Rhodes (c. 292 BCE) Winged Victory of Samothrace (c. 2nd century BCE) Terracotta Army (246–210 BCE) Laocoön and His Sons (c. 200 BCE – 70 CE) Venus de Milo (130–100 BCE) Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (175 CE) Buddhas of Bamiyan (507–554 CE) Chartes Cathedral (c. 1194–1250 CE) Konark Sun Temple (1250 CE) Moai, Easter Islands (1250–1500 CE) Pietà (1498–1499) David (1501–1504) Veiled Christ (1753) Kamagaya Great Buddha (1776) Nelson's Column (1843) Lion of Belfort (1880) The Kiss (1882) Liberty Enlightening the World, Statue of Liberty (1886) The Gates of Hell (1890–1917) The Golden Virgin (1897) The Thinker (1904) Jules Verne's tomb (1907) Abraham Lincoln (1920) Mount Rushmore Shrine of Democracy (1927–1941) Christ the Redeemer (1927–1931) The Motherland Calls (1967) Fallen Astronaut (1971) Mother Ukraine (1981) Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue (2008) Statue of Unity (2018)
Category Outline