The Golden Virgin: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Sculpture located in Albert, France}}

'''''The Golden Virgin''''', also known as '''''The Leaning Virgin''''', is a [[Gilding|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: ''{{Langx|fr|Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières''}}) in [[Albert, France]]. Regarded as a symbol of French resilience during [[World War I]],{{efn-ua|Most soldiers in the British Army who were referred tomto as [[Tommy Atkins|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.<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 |date=October 11, 2012 |accessdate=October 15, 2021}}</ref>}} the artwork portrays the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]] presenting [[Christ Child]] heavenward.

== Description analysisBackground ==

''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.{{sfn|Walsh|2011|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=EPOvl5vYpl0C&dq=Basilique+Notre-Dame+de+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA177 177]}} The sculpture was covered with 40,000 sheets of [[gold leaf]]. It also was {{cvt|5|m|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.{{sfn|Holt|Holt|Gilbert|2008|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=DaKaBQAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT116 116]}} 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.<ref name="TS">{{cite news |last1=Daubs |first1=Katie |title='When the Virgin falls, the war will end' |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2014/05/23/superstitious-soldiers-saw-nearly-destroyed-statue-as-a-sign-from-the-heavens.html |access-date=13 October 2021 |newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] |date=15 October 2018}}</ref> In 1915, it was leaning after 2,000 shells hit the town and basilica.<ref name="TS"/> Engineers fastened a chain to prevent it from toppling.{{efn-ua|Some credit French engineers.{{sfn|Middlebrook|2018|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=oVilX9ilLgkC&q=the+golden+virgin+french+engineers&pg=PT51 51]}} Other sources say it was either the British or the French who secured the statue with a thick cable.{{sfn|Aonghais|2014|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7wfZBQAAQBAJ&q=the+golden+virgin+french+engineers&pg=PA381 380–381]}}{{Better source needed|date=June 2023}} The discrepancy is understandable amid the battle and hindered battlefield observation or recording. It may be attributable to [[the fog of war]].}}

==History and analysis==

The sculpture was installed atop the basilica in 1897.{{sfn|Walsh|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=EPOvl5vYpl0C&dq=Basilique+Notre-Dame+de+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA177 177]}} 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]].<ref name="triumphs">{{Cite journal |language=fr |journal=L'Aérophile |title="The triumphs of aviation, the circuit of the east by airplane" |pppages=386, 387, 391 |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k65639070/f388 |date=1 January 1910}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Spire">{{cite news |title=Church Spire as Guide |url=https://accesswww.newspaperarchive.com/military-clipping-aug-16-1910-3823961/ |access-date=5 April 2023 |publisher=London Standard |date=16 August 1910}}</ref> When asked about his laps around the statue he said,

The statue became a symbol to both British and German troops; soldiers remarked the Virgin Mary was keeping the baby Christ from falling.{{sfn|Neiberg|2014|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LSfuBAAAQBAJ&dq=Basilique+Notre-Dame+de+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT364 39]}} 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.<ref name="Stricken">{{cite news |last1=Gibbs |first1=Philip|title=Stricken City of the Golden Virgin |url=https://access-www.newspaperarchive-.com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/military-clipping-mar-28-1918-3823922/ |access-date=5 April 2023 |agency=New York Times |publisher=Salt Lake City Salt Lake Tribune |date=28 March 1918}}</ref> 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.{{sfn|Holt|Holt|2016|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aRYDDAAAQBAJ&dq=Basilique+Notre-Dame+de+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PT123 368]}}{{sfn|Sumner|2018|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=_LPNDwAAQBAJ&q=leaning+virgin+souvenirs&pg=PT45 45]}} 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.<ref name="Statue">{{cite news |title=Statue at Albert |url=https://accesswww.newspaperarchive.com/military-clipping-sep-28-1918-3823889/ |access-date=5 April 2023 |publisher=Saint Paul Catholic Bulletin |date=28 September 1918}}</ref> Coincidentally, World War I ended 11 November 1918.<ref name="HistoryTime">{{cite webnews |last1=Wawro |first1=Geoffrey |title=ArmisticeEverything Day:You Know About How World War I endsEnded Is Wrong |url=https://www.historytime.com/this5406235/everything-dayyou-inknow-about-how-history/world-war-i-endsended-is-wrong/ |websiteaccess-date=History6 June 2023 |publisher=[[A&ETime Television Networks]]Magazine |access-date=1326 OctoberSeptember 20212018}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> On September 8, a novena is celebrated to honor the''The leaningLeaning Virgin''.{{sfn|Ziolkowski|2018|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=42tgDwAAQBAJ&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA24 24, 189]}}{{sfn|Roy|2005|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=IKqOUfqt4cIC&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA76 76]}}{{sfn|Santoro|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZXWRgP-0KBkC&dq=Basilica+of+Our+Lady+of+Brebi%C3%A8res&pg=PA171 171]}}{{Better source needed|date=June 2023}}

The Official Visits To the Western Front, 1914-1918 Q7250.jpg|Official visit to the Western Front, with leaning''The virginLeaning Virgin'' in the background, 1917

Albert Cathedral showing "Golden Virgin" hanging (19898570361).jpg|A photograph from an album of World War I-relatedI–related photographs in the William Okell Holden Dodds fonds, 1917

Albert and the Cathedral (19867323106).jpg|Another photograph from an album of World War I-relatedI–related photographs in the William Okell Holden Dodds fonds, 1918

*[https[://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_Notre:Basilique Notre-Dame_de_BrebiDame de Brebi%C3%A8res |Basilique Notre-Dame de Brebières]] French Wikipedia

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