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August Leimbach — Madonna of the Trail
August Leimbach

Madonna of the Trail

1928

This monumental stone sculpture depicts a pioneer woman gazing upward while cradling two children, embodying the spirit of westward expansion and maternal sacrifice. Created by August Leimbach in 1928 and carved from Algonite stone, the figure rises prominently from a granite base surrounded by landscaped hedges, commanding attention in the urban plaza at Fourth and Marble. The work stands as one of twelve identical Madonna of the Trail monuments erected across the United States by the Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate pioneer women who traveled the covered wagon routes. The sculptor's realistic figurative style captures both tenderness and determination, with the woman's flowing dress and upturned expression conveying both vulnerability and resolve. Positioned against a backdrop of modern brick buildings, the sculpture creates a striking temporal contrast between historical remembrance and contemporary urban development. Photo by W. Guy Finley on Flickr/Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Medium
Algonite stone sculpture on granite base

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About this work

August Leimbach, Madonna of the Trail, 1928

This monumental stone sculpture depicts a pioneer woman gazing upward while cradling two children, embodying the spirit of westward expansion and maternal sacrifice. Created by August Leimbach in 1928 and carved from Algonite stone, the figure rises prominently from a granite base surrounded by landscaped hedges, commanding attention in the urban plaza at Fourth and Marble. The work stands as one of twelve identical Madonna of the Trail monuments erected across the United States by the Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate pioneer women who traveled the covered wagon routes. The sculptor's realistic figurative style captures both tenderness and determination, with the woman's flowing dress and upturned expression conveying both vulnerability and resolve. Positioned against a backdrop of modern brick buildings, the sculpture creates a striking temporal contrast between historical remembrance and contemporary urban development. Photo by W. Guy Finley on Flickr/Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Medium
Algonite stone sculpture on granite base
Year
1928
Seen at
Madonna of the Trail Plaza, 4th and Marble NW

Related themes

Figurative Sculpture, Women's History, Urban Plaza, New Mexico, Twentieth Century, Allegorical Figure, Civic Art, Monumental Scale, Public Art, Memorial, Architectural Landmark, Maternal Imagery, Historical Commemoration, American West, Realism, Outdoor Monument, Pioneer History, Stone Sculpture, Albuquerque, Granite Base