Bronze Sacred Heart statue

The Sacred Heart statue in Aarle-Rixtel is not unique. The work of art was designed by the French artist Jules Dechin and can also be found in places such as Oploo and Volkel. There are variants of Sacred Heart statues in many more places in the Netherlands. These are statues dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These statues were erected particularly at the beginning of the 20th century. The bronze Sacred Heart statue in Aarle-Rixtel has been standing there since 30 May 1925. It was a gift from the church council to the then pastor Koenen for his silver jubilee. A plaque on the back states that the statue was paid for 'from the contributions of all the parishioners'. At the front, the edge of the globe on which the statue stands reads 'Sacre Coeur de Jesus Roi des Failles' (Sacred Heart of Jesus, King of the Families). The plaque on the front of the plinth reads: 'Come to me, all of you who toil and are full of worry, and I will cheer you up'. It has been a national monument since 2001. The statue is of cultural-historical importance as an expression of spiritual life, especially Sacred Heart devotion as it existed in the 1920s and 1930s. It is also of historical importance as an example of bronze casting art from the Interbellum period (the period between the First and Second World Wars).