FCJ Primary School, Jersey, Channel Isles— the Madonna and Child is Moved!

When the FCJ Convent and School in David Place, St Helier, Jersey, was transferred to the new campus at Grainville,  a work of art was commissioned for the exterior of the building.  Allan Bransbury, a Jersey-born artist  was commissioned to do the work. 

A strategic point on the external wall of the school hall was chosen for the commission and Allan created  a  beautiful statue of the Madonna and Child.   When the secondary school was phased out in 1979 the statue was transferred to the Primary school but although the statue was clearly visible to children in the play area, (and many were the photographs taken beside it).

The statue needed repair work and the opportunity was taken to move the statue to the front of the building. Allan Bransbury travelled to Jersey from his Scottish home, repaired the statue  and supervised its repositioning.

In his own words Allan describes his task, ‘In essence the work has had – in dental terms: both repairs and a scrape and polish.  Some of the original patina from the nickel and brass isn’t practical to remove; whilst I have added some 3.5 kg of new nickel-brass metal in localised repairs.  My final task was to wax the work.’

The new position,
on the front of the
school building,
allows all visitors to
see the beauty of
this work of art