Immaculata on Marian Column / Immaculata na mariánském sloupu - Jicín (East Bohemia) - Statues of Religious Figures on Waymarking.com

Depicted statue of Immaculata, one of expressions of Virgin Mary, can be found on the top of the Baroque Marian column located in the main public space of town Jicín - Wallenstein Square (Valdštejnovo námestí).

The initiators of the construction of the Marian Column in Jicín were the Jesuits, who have their dormitory near the square. The construction of the column was started in 1702 and since then there are relatively detailed records in the archives about the construction of the column itself. After the necessary technical modifications, the basic octagonal pedestal for the column and statue was ceremoniously built on May 11, 1702. The ceremony was led by Father Šebestián Rícan and Father Pavel Pozapo. The Corinthian column was then lifted onto the pedestal with the help of scaffolding two days later on May 13, and the statue of the Virgin Mary was placed on it on May 15. The statue of the Virgin Mary was solemnly consecrated after Mass in the Church of St. James on May 21, 1702. Although the details of the construction of the whole work are known, its author is unfortunately not known. Statues of angels were added to the pedestal around 1780.

The sandstone sculptural group consists of an octagonal base with three steps and also an octagonal pedestal with sides of unequal width. On each narrower and raised part of the pedestal there are statues of four angels, in the middle of which is a square prism over 2 m high. On this prismatic plinth stands a 6 m high column made of one piece of sandstone topped by a Corinthian head. During the repairs, the column received an iron hoop at the bottom to prevent it from tearing.

On the columns stands a life-size statue of the Immaculata with all allegorical requisites. Her head is adorned with twelve golden stars, her hands are clasped and she crushes a snake that wraps around the globe under her feet, the snake has a branch with an apple in its mouth.

Source: excerpted and translated from National Heritage Institute portal.

The Immaculate Conception is, according to Roman Catholic doctrine, the conception of the Virgin Mary without any stain ("Immacula" in Latin) of original sin. It is one of the four dogmas in Roman Catholic Mariology. Under this aspect Mary is sometimes called the "Immaculata" (the Immaculate One), particularly in artistic contexts.

The definitive iconography for the Immaculate Conception, drawing on the emblem tradition, seems to have been finally established by the master and then father-in-law of Diego Velázquez, the painter and theorist Francisco Pacheco (1564–1644). Pacheco's iconography influenced other Spanish artists such as Bartolome Murillo, Diego Velázquez, and Francisco Zurbaran, who each produced a number of artistic masterpieces based on the use of these same symbols.

The popularity of this particular representation of The Immaculate Conception spread across the rest of Europe, and has since remained the best known artistic depiction of the concept: in a heavenly realm, moments after her creation, the spirit of Mary (in the form of a young woman) looks up in awe at (or bows her head to) God. The moon is under her feet and a halo of twelve stars surround her head, possibly a reference to "a woman clothed with the sun" from Revelation 12:1-2. Additional imagery may include clouds, a golden light, and cherubs. In some paintings the cherubim are holding lilies and roses, flowers often associated with Mary.

[excerpted from wiki]