| Place | Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Albert |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | AWM2017.162.5 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Sheet: 33 x 26 cm; Image: 19 x 14.4 cm |
| Object type | |
| Physical description | hand-coloured etching, aquatint on wove paper |
| Maker |
Mansard, Paul |
| Place made | France |
| Date made | c.1915 - 1917 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial
This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
|
Albert
Description
Albert is a town in the Somme in northern France; it is located about halfway between Amiens and Bapaume. Depicted here is the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebieres with war damaged buildings nearby. Atop of the Basilica tower is the statue of Mary and the infant Jesus. It was designed by sculptor Albert Roze and was hit by shelling on 15 January 1915 and slumped to a nearly horizontal position, where it remained until further shelling in 1918 destroyed the tower. This image became especially familiar to the British soldiers who passed through Albert to fight at the Battle of the Somme. The British said that whomever made the statue fall would lose the war.
Paul Mansard was the alias of French artist Henry Dupont. Dupont also worked under the alias Marcel Augis.