Christ the King (Christus Koning)

About this artwork.

Christ the King is crowned, barefoot and depicted in a simple robe. He is giving a blessing with his right hand. The Brom brothers created Christ the King in an archaic style, which makes it look like a medieval statue. However, in reality the sculpture dates from 1936.

The artists Brom have created pieces of art for various cathedrals in the Netherlands.

From 1936 to 1967, Christ the King stood against the north facade of the – since demolished – Saint Martin Church on the Broerplein. However, it suffered severe damage there several times. During the war it was pierced in several places during a night-time shooting. Furthermore, the sculpture was a constant target for vandals in later years. In 1966, sympathisers with the Provo movement painted the right hand of the sculpture white. To save it from further mockery, the church council removed the statue in 1967. The initial decision was to destroy it, but after the directors returned, they presented the statue to the Archi-episcopal Museum in Utrecht. Ultimately, Christ the King remained in the city of Groningen and was given a place in the Roman Catholic cemetery on the Hereweg.

Facts & Figures.

• Design
  Joannes en Leo Brom

• District
  Helpman

• Year of creation
  1936

• Art type
  Freestanding sculpture

• Material
  Copper

• Dimensions
  h 3,15 m