Draft:Christ the King (Groningen)

Christus Koning
ArtistJan Eloy and Leo Brom
Year1936
MediumCopper
Dimensions300 cm (120 in)
LocationGroningen, Hereweg

Christus Koning is a sculpture by Jan Eloy and his brother Leo Brom. It is located at the R.K. Cemetery on Hereweg in the city of Groningen.

Background

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In 1936, the St. Martinus Parish in Groningen celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Brom brothers were commissioned to create a statue, which was initially placed near the St. Martinus Church at Academy Square in the city.[1] The unveiling took place on October 11, 1936.

In the late 1960s, then pastor Braakhuis decided to remove the statue. Its stern appearance no longer fit with the surroundings, and it had become a target for vandalism, particularly during initiation rituals of Groningen students.[2] The statue was removed from its pedestal on September 1, 1967. It was initially slated for destruction but was saved by the intervention of the curator of the Archiepiscopal Museum in Utrecht and stored in a cupboard behind the font in the church. On the initiative of the cemetery overseer, Mr. Wilkens, it was later placed on the north side of the chapel at the cemetery. Two bishops of Groningen, Petrus Nierman and Bernard Möller, are buried at the base of the statue. The Martinus Church was demolished in 1982, and the University Library was opened at the site in 1987.

Description

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The statue depicts a seated Christ the King, crowned and draped in robes, with his right hand raised in blessing. The three-meter-high statue is made of copper with an artificial patina. It was originally placed on a hardstone pedestal at the north facade of the Martinus Church and was initially set on the ground at the cemetery.

During the Second World War, the statue was hit by eight bullet holes, including one in the left hand. During its relocation to the cemetery, the scepter that Christ held in his left hand was stolen.

In 2013, the statue was restored; Christ received a new scepter, and the statue was placed on a new pedestal. The bullet holes from 1944 remain visible.

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References

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  1. ^ "Christus Koning", Kunst op Straat in Groningen, Kunstpunt Groningen.
  2. ^ Vinther L. (1982), "Het beeld van Christus Koning", in Groningen Toen. Groningen: Drukkerij Ebel Noorman B.V.

53°12′13.91″N 6°34′23.55″E / 53.2038639°N 6.5732083°E / 53.2038639; 6.5732083