Sunday, December 13, 2015

Vimy Sculptures

These are the plaster cast scale models Walter Allward used while devising his plans for the Vimy Ridge Memorial in France, site of a horrendous battle during the First World War, one that was won by Canadian troops. The sculptures have a tremendous power, and are well situated here in Regeneration Hall.

42 comments:

  1. Very powerful and emotional sculptures. I actually got chills looking at them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These would certainly be something to see.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I did not know this story. I know it thanks you.
    http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/vimy/index_e.shtml

    Tomás.

    ReplyDelete
  4. These are amazing! Thank you William.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow! These are amazing! They speak deeply without words.

    ReplyDelete
  6. These will get your blood flowing...wow, such great artistry. You can feel the power. I find them very emotional.

    ReplyDelete
  7. We never realize how much work and effort is put into a major sculpture let alone the creativity to come up with the idea in the first place.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those are beautiful and yes, very powerful.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It always interesting to see model like these: we can understand better the final work.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Powerful funerary art, William








    Warm ALOHA,
    ComfortSpiral
    ><3 3 3('>

    ReplyDelete
  11. @Debs: they certainly have that effect.

    @Revrunner: possibly, yes.

    @Janey: they are, and it's an ideal space for displaying them.

    @Tomas: thank you.

    @Luis: you're welcome.

    @EG: Allward really did create a masterpiece with the monument, and these give it a very human, poignant touch.

    @Linda: that they are!

    @Norma: I quite agree.

    @Tex: they do have that effect.

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Lowell: they leave me humbled, seeing them.

    @Red: it took years to build the memorial. I'd love to see it for myself someday.

    @VDP: thank you!

    @Marleen: they are. These are about life sized. The ones carved into the memorial itself are larger.

    @Sharon: according to the stories I've heard, the irony is that when the Vimy Memorial fell into German hands during the Second World War, Hitler had the site safeguarded instead of destroyed- it didn't strike him as a glorification of the Allied victory in the First World War, but as a site of mourning.

    @VP: yes, that's true.

    @Cloudia: very powerful.

    @Shelly: indeed.

    @Cheryl: that too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. You do find the most interesting photo-ops!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. How interesting to have the plaster casts. Interesting to me anyway.
    MB

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow. These sculptures represent some dramatic human poses. Love the detail in the 5th and 6th photos.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Those are amazing sculptures beautifully photographed.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great photos! Those are such beautiful and powerful sculptures!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Fantastic powerful work, as you say an horrendous battle...

    ReplyDelete
  19. The detail is amazing. No wonder the statutes make such a statement.

    ReplyDelete
  20. These are so striking. I can imagine the larger final ones are even more powerful. Wow!

    ReplyDelete
  21. i am always amazed by the details in statues, reminds me of star wars when harrison ford gets made into stone, i know that is not the wording. but i think you will know what i mean. so life-like. very cool. ( :

    ReplyDelete
  22. Quite wonderful! Nicely photographed too.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Beautiful and detailed sculptures, very well photographed.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Goodness me they really are a poerfull series of sculptures William, would love to see them together in France.

    ReplyDelete
  25. @Jennifer: this museum has plenty of those.

    @MB: interesting to me too!

    @Janis: it is.

    @Gemma: thanks!

    @Denise: thank you.

    @Tamago: someday I'd like to see their finished counterparts on the Vimy Memorial.

    @Geoff: like so many battles of that war. Pure hell on earth.

    @Mari: they certainly do.

    @Kay: that part of France is a place that has become sacred for my country.

    @Beth: I can see that.

    @Linda: thank you!

    @Karl: thanks!

    @Grace: I would too.

    ReplyDelete
  26. These are really beautiful sculptures. Your photos are lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  27. What a great collection of sculptures, wonderful.

    ReplyDelete