(Statuary at the Grotto of Lourdes), (sculpture).

(Statuary at the Grotto of Lourdes), (sculpture).

Unknown, sculptor.

Tommasi, sculptor.

de Ranieri Studios, design firm.

Barsanti Marble, fabricator.

Holy Land Art Company, contractor.

(Statuary at the Grotto of Lourdes), (sculpture).

Figure of Blessed Mother atop Campanile: gold-leafed bronze; Stations of the Cross: stone and copper; Pro-Life Memorial: white Carrara marble.

Approx. 50 pieces. Figure of Blessed Mother atop Campanile: approx. H. 25 ft.

Various sculptures include Crucifixion Group, Mysteries of the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Pro-Life Memorial, many depictions of Mary, Christ, several saints, and angels. The Pro-Life Memorial depicts Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in a nativity scene. Mary is lying down on a bed of straw, and the infant Jesus is lying in a manger on her proper right side. Jesus is looking up at Mary and grasping the fingers of her proper right hand. Joseph is standing, staff in hand.

Religion -- New Testament -- Mary

Religion -- New Testament -- Christ

Religion -- Saint -- St. Joseph

Religion -- Saint -- St. Bernadette

Religion -- Saint -- St. John

Religion -- New Testament -- Mary Magdalen

Religion -- Saint -- St. Francis

Religion -- Saint -- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Religion -- Saint -- St. Vincent

Religion -- Angel

Religion -- New Testament -- Crucifixion

State of Being -- Death -- Execution

Religion -- New Testament -- Nativity

Outdoor Sculpture -- Maryland -- Emmitsburg

Architectural component

Mount Saint Mary's University, Special Collections House, National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

Statues of Mary in the grotto date from the early 19th century. Extensive renovation of the grotto began in 1958, resulting in stone and copper Stations of the Cross replacing old, rough crosses; establishment of shrines of Our Lady of the Lake and St. Francis of Assisi; erection of a crucifixion tableau and a shrine to Blessed Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Save Outdoor Sculpture survey did not report the identity of the artists of most of the sculptures. The figure of the Blessed Mother which tops the Pangborn Memorial Campanile was designed by the de Ranieri Studios and made by the Italian sculptor Tommasi. Plans for the Pro-Life Memorial began in 1992. The final model was shipped in early 1993 by the Holy Land Art Company to Barsanti Studios in Pietresante, Italy for fabrication. The completed sculpture was received at the Grotto in early March 1994 and dedicated June 26, 1994.

IAS files contain booklet "The Story of Our Lady's Grotto" by Mount Saint Mary's College, which gives detailed history of the grotto sculptures, including donor information; and pamphlet from the dedication of the Pro-Life Memorial, which includes transcriptions of the lengthy inscriptions on the piece.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Maryland survey, 1994.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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