Shropshire sculptor makes cathedral history
[gallery] With her serene gaze and calming presence, a seven foot high sculpture by a Shropshire-based artist has taken pride of place in the country's third largest cathedral.
The sculpture of the Virgin Mary by Shropshire-based artist Aidan Hart was unveiled in Lincoln Cathedral earlier this week. It is one of the largest works of art commissioned by the Dean and Chapter of the historic cathedral since the Reformation in the 16th century.
It restores to the magnificent Gothic building – Britain's third largest cathedral – a significant image of the Virgin after an absence of 400 years.
The sculpture has been an ecumenical project, funded by individuals and trusts from both Anglican and Catholic Churches across Lincolnshire. It was dedicated on Saturday by the Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Revd Christopher Lowson.
Weighing 1.5 tonnes, the sculpture has been carved by Mr Hart and his assistant Martin Earle from a four-tonne block of Lincolnshire limestone.
Mr Hart, who lives in Shrewsbury, said the commission had been a great honour to undertake.
"The project is the realisation of a 10-year dream for those involved in the cathedral, and the commission itself has taken three years to complete from the initial design," he said.
"It was a truly wonderful experience to chisel away at the 170 million-year-old stone, gradually working it until the figures emerged."