Madonna of the Wheat

The naturalistic bronze sculpture portrays a female figure wearing a traditional Ukrainian costume. According to the artist, ​“The young woman cradles the wheat in her arms as though it were a child. She feels the good earth beneath her feet and turns her face to the warm sun. Without words she is giving thanks for the miracle of the wheat” symbolizing agriculture, abundance and the fertility of the land.

This figurative bronze has its roots in commemorative heroic sculpture common in European public art traditions. In keeping with the tenets of the style, the artist portrays an idealized allegorical figure that embodies the common people, in this case the early female homesteaders of Alberta. The sculpture’s didactic message extolls the virtues of traditional rural culture, conservative values, and authentic peasant culture. Although it was commissioned by the Alberta Branch of the Ukrainian Women’s Association of Canada, according to the dedication the sculpture commemorates all pioneer women of Alberta. 

The title, Madonna of the Wheat, canonizes the common woman and recognizes those who were commonly left out of the prevailing historic narratives. These women were often left to tend farms and raise families alone while their husbands sought seasonal labour on the railroad. By placing her on a pedestal, the artist has heightened the importance of agricultural work by female pioneers and raises her above the petty day-to-day concerns of humankind.