Statues That Are Too Big

  • Thread starter Thread starter Seamus_L
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Seamus_L

Guest
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this before, but as objects of devotion, I was really put off by the colossal metal Our Lady of the Millenium statue that has been making the rounds in the Archdiocese of Chicago. There’s just something about these much larger than life creations that I find disturbing. Another I will put in that category is the recently unveiled Our Lady of the Sign-Ark of Mercy statue that was set up in front of the altar (most distastefully I thought) at St Stanislaus Kostka parish on Holy Thursday.
 
Seamus_L said:
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this before, but as objects of devotion, I was really put off by the colossal metal Our Lady of the Millenium statue that has been making the rounds in the Archdiocese of Chicago…
Click to expand...
I had the same reaction when I saw it at Sacred Heart parish in Palos Hills.

I was stunned.
 
I admit that certain Catholic parishes might be going slightly overboard with religious icons. However, you need to remember that the whole reason we have Catholic religious icons is so that we are reminded of the spiritual and extraordinary in an ordinary world. Therefore, there is not any problem when you look at a statue of the Blessed Mother (no matter how large) and pray to it, as long as you keep in mind that you are truly praying to the sacred woman it represents and that you do not go beyond necessary respect for the statue itself - then it becomes idolatry. Why would the good Lord allow us to worship icons in their representees’ names if it were wrong? Instead of using our imaginations all the time, we can picture a respectful and holy image of God, Jesus, Mary, and the saints, in a physical material. As long as we respect the holy icon for being a religious symbol, yet we pray to the actual person and not the icon itself, the prayer will not be idolatry but respect through physical resemblance.
 
Art is sort of touchy, for everyone that hates something ,another person will think it beautiful

I haven’t seen this statue, but out K of C brought in an Icon from Cuba that we venerated…It is an old Icon ,not a modern one, but I thought it was sort of loud looking…Then I thought it is Cuban and someone made this to honor Our Lady…I saw it as an act of love for the Blessed Mother and tried to think of it like that
 
I love statues, paintings, stained glass windows and icons, and have a deep appreciation of religious artwork. However, I saw nothing whatsoever that inspired me to devotion of the Blessed Mother in the 2 statues I referred to.
 
Seamus L, is there anywhere we can see pictures of these statues you’re talking about?
 
redrosetea said:
Art is sort of touchy, for everyone that hates something ,another person will think it beautiful

I haven’t seen this statue, but out K of C brought in an Icon from Cuba that we venerated…It is an old Icon ,not a modern one, but I thought it was sort of loud looking…Then I thought it is Cuban and someone made this to honor Our Lady…I saw it as an act of love for the Blessed Mother and tried to think of it like that
Click to expand...
I agree with you. Art is a touchy subject. I am reminded of Pope Julius and Michaelangelo. Their vision of the Sistine Chapel was very different. Pope Julius vision was much less grand. Yet, when it was finished, he was in awe and Michaelangelo disappointed in his own work.

If one visits the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at Catholic University in Washington, there are pieces of are that are so huge that you have to step back several hundred feet to take them in, especially the mosaic behind the sanctuary. Then there are very tiny ones in the side chapels.

Some people like one form and others prefer something different It varies from culture to culture.

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!

Fraternally,

JR 🙂
 
Here’s a photo of Our Lady of the Sign at St Stanislaus Kostka in Chicago. freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2029102/posts This statue is so big it completely blocked off the church’s beautiful altar.
Code: 
                 I'm not passing judgement here on anyone's efforts, vision, spirituality etc. I'm just giving my honest opinion, as well as that of 2 others, who found the statue a bit unsettling to see blocking the altar on Holy Thursday. 

                  Still looking for a photo of the 33 foot Our Lady of the Millennium statue.
 
Seamus_L said:
… There’s just something about these much larger than life creations that I find disturbing. Another I will put in that category is the recently unveiled Our Lady of the Sign-Ark of Mercy statue that was set up in front of the altar (most distastefully I thought) at St Stanislaus Kostka parish on Holy Thursday.
Click to expand...
Just how big are these things? From the way you’re talkng I get the impression they’re big enough to draw attention away from the worship & put focus on themselves.
 
Seamus_L said:
Here’s a photo of Our Lady of the Sign at St Stanislaus Kostka in Chicago. freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2029102/posts This statue is so big it completely blocked off the church’s beautiful altar.
Code: 
                 I'm not passing judgement here on anyone's efforts, vision, spirituality etc. I'm just giving my honest opinion, as well as that of 2 others, who found the statue a bit unsettling to see blocking the altar on Holy Thursday.
I understand…You are entitled to your opinion…I think they are both quite lovely looking from the picture…I found the monstrance a bit unusual, and large …I can’t say how I would feel seeing either in person…sometimes you just have to see things in person to get the proper perspective…It’s OK not to like the way something looks…I absolutely dislike modern looking churches…It doesn’t mean that they are junk, just not for me
Code: 
                  .
Click to expand...
 
Our Lady of the Sign–also called Wider than the Heavens–is a very common Byzantine Icon, especially in the apse of the Church.

Seeing the Ark of the Covenant as a prefiguring of the Theotokos is as old as patristic commentary itself.

But artistically, this doesn’t work. (And I could give other reasons, but I won’t.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top