Annunciation Sculpture Being Mounted on Oratory
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Published on Sunday, 12 December 2010 00:27
The marble sculpture depicting The Annunciation is beginning to take shape on the front of the Ave Maria Oratory.
Work crews hoisted the first of 15 white Carrera marble panels into position on the oratory's façade Saturday afternoon as enthusiastic onlookers watched and took pictures.
"I am so terribly excited about it," said Ave Maria University student AnnaMarie Sanderson, expressing views shared by most other people watching. (Photo at right was taken by Miss Sanderson) She, along with many others, watched the artwork being created as sculptor Márton Váró worked for the last 18 months, carving it at a workstation on the Ave Maria University mall across from the oratory.
Each of the marble panels weighs several tons and mounting it to the front of the oratory posed a number of engineering challenges. (Below, the final positioning of the panel)
Work will continue throughout December to mount the other panels. In the new year, Mr. Váró will continue to work on the bas-relief, finishing varous details and blending the 15 panels together. The official "unveiling" is planned for the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25.
For background on the engineering challenge of mounting the sculpture, click here for a previous Ave Herald story Project to Mount Annunciation Sculpture Begins.
Below, pictures taken by Don Stuller.
UPDATE: Below, the second panel was installed Tuesday, Dec. 14. (photo on left by Kevin Stinnet; photo on right, Daniel Shnaider)
UPDATE: The third panel (below) installed Wednesday, Dec. 15 (photo by Daniel Shnaider) Fourth panel photo by Kevin Stinnet.
Fifth panel photo below by Kevin Stinnet
Below, the sixth and seventh panels added the week of Dec. 27. (photos by Kevin Stinnet)
The face of Mary posed some particular challenges and crews worked well into the night Friday, Jan. 7, before successfully mounting the panel, which can be seen below along with others mounted Saturday, Jan. 8. The work brought the total panels to 12 of 15.
Below, in photos by Kevin Stinnet, the mounting of the face of Mary.
