Speaking about what is the most famous sculpture in the world, it is impossible to specify. The fact is that throughout the history of mankind there have been many geniuses, each of which left its mark. But there are statues that have been pleasing people for more than one century. They deserve attention.
Sculptures are usually kept in museums. Some of them remain in the place where they were built by the author. And the smallest part is in private collections. In fact, they don't have to be anyone's, as they are world heritage. And anyone who wants to look at them must have access to this.
Venus Capitoline
The most famous sculpture in the world, which was created millennia ago, is the Capitoline Venus. It is made of marble in the 2nd century. Its prototype is the statue of Aphrodite, which was created in the 4th century BC.
It depicts a woman covering her nakedness with her hands. The sculptor managed to convey all the embarrassment experienced by the model (if there was one). Therefore, she is also called "modest Venus." Next to the woman is a vessel on which her robe is folded.
The sculpture was found quite late, in 1667. Then, in 1754, he donated it. There is a widespread opinion that this particular statue of Venus is considered the most beloved, since it fully reflects her grace, elegance and beauty.
David Donatello
The most famous sculpture in the world, the creation of which dates back to the Renaissance, is David, made by the master Donatello. She gained her popularity pretty quickly. This is due to the fact that in the Renaissance it was the first naked statue.
The sculpture is made of marble and depicts a young man holding a sword in his hand. Under his feet is the head of Goliath. But the pretentious pose shows the author's mockery. And David does not hold his weapon like a warrior at all. He seems to lean on him like a cane.
Starting with the sculpture in question, Donatello's work has acquired certain features. Further, he created sculptures only in own style, where there was a certain homogeneity and gothic. The subsequent creations of the author were also popular, but it was David who caused a stir among fans and critics. Therefore, it can be considered a masterpiece of Donatello.
The risen and dying slave of Michelangelo
The great Michelangelo did not leave mankind without masterpieces. The most famous sculpture he has a Dying Slave. However, before the creator started the sculpture, he did a lot of work.
In 1505 Michelangelo began his new project- Creation of the tomb of Pope Julius II. Initially, he planned to decorate the mausoleum with too many statues (about 40), but his plans were not destined to come true. The work was long (until 1545), but there were much fewer sculptures, and only three have survived to this day. The basis of the tomb is the mighty Moses, who had titanic strength and temperament.
On the sides of her were to be located two slaves. The first, the rebel, which depicts the desire of a young and strong youth to break his bonds. The second is a dying slave. In this case, the young man only hung helplessly in his bonds.
Of these two statues, it is impossible to single out any one. They are both wonderful.
Voltaire Jean Baptiste Pigalle
The list of "the most famous sculptures in the world" must include the Nude Voltaire. It was created by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, and he caused too much hype around him.
First, the sculpture looked too realistic. For that time (1776) it was a real challenge to critics. Pigalle created this sculptural portrait for 6 years. First, he completed the body, an old soldier became his sitter. Then he transferred the face from the bust.
Secondly, the statue did not display any beauty and sophistication at all. It depicts a flabby old body with saggy skin, and a mocking and ironic smile adorns her face.
When the sculpture was exhibited in Paris Salon, high society refused to accept it, a huge scandal arose. They forgot about the work of the master. It was only in the 20th century that she was remembered, and the masterpiece was given its due - Pigalle was appreciated.
Bronze Horseman of Falcons
If you recall the most famous sculptures in Russia, then the first thing that comes to mind is this. But thanks to Pushkin's work, he is known by a different name. It was created by three French sculptors, headed by Falcons. At the end of the work, he gouged out on the statue on Latin words that the monument is his brainchild.
AT total The sculpture has been in the making for 15 years. According to the author's intention, it was supposed to reflect the power of the Russian emperor over nature and history, his will and talent as a reformer. It must be said that it succeeded.
Unique feature Bronze Horseman is that it was fully cast, so it is impossible to find joints or welding on its surface. And also the rock on which it stands is the largest monolith ever moved by man.
Today, everyone can look at the Bronze Horseman, which is located next to St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Thinker Rodin
The most famous, as well as the most recognizable, is located in the Parisian museum of the same name. This is the popular Thinker. The author was inspired to create " The Divine Comedy". Accordingly, if it were not for the talented Dante, then the "Thinker" would not exist.
In 1880, Rodin received an order for a large-scale work called The Gates of Hell. According to his plan, it will include several individual sculptures. The project itself was supposed to decorate the entrance to the museum. But the work was not finished. However, Rodin decided to enlarge some of the statues and present them to the world separately.
This is how The Thinker was born. The sculpture depicts a man who is frozen in a sitting position on a stone. His stubborn thought process is literally visible to everyone who looks at him - the author managed to convey the emotional coloring so reliably.
Chicago and Picasso
If we consider large-scale and famous sculptures of the world, then one cannot ignore the one that has not even received a name. It is installed in Chicago and is a kind of gift to this city from the master Picasso. By the way, its name is exactly what it sounds like “nameless sculpture”.
In 1963 American company ordered models of the statue from Picasso, which were ready in 2 years. After the approval of the project, construction began. It was financed by two charitable companies, the whole process cost 352 thousand dollars. The weight of the structure is 162 tons, and the height is just over 15 meters.
The sculptor himself was offered 100 thousand dollars for planning and processing the project. However, Picasso refused, he was very insistent that he wanted to donate this structure to the city.
Two forms of Henry Moore
Perhaps the world's most famous sculpture by Henry Moore is his Two Forms. It was completed in 1936. Moore himself - British sculptor, which is clearly the greatest master 20th century.
"Two Forms" is considered a descendant of "The Kiss". However, they are more elegant, they show notes of modernity, or, as the creator himself called it, “new aesthetics”.
The sculpture is ideally named because it really embodies two forms. It seems like they complement each other. But also they will not be meaningless if we consider each form separately. This is the whole of Henry, he also breathes mystery, alienation, as well as from all his works.
Unfortunately, in Russian museums there are no works by Moore, but exhibitions are often held here. Therefore, it is still possible to get acquainted with his art and technique.
Conclusion
All famous sculptures and their authors differ from each other. But only one thing can be said for sure about each of them. All of them gave the world a lot of new things. Art has always existed. Moreover, many talented craftsmen were not accepted at the time. Their masterpieces had to wait centuries to glorify the creator. But in any case, the sculpture has always found its audience, its recognition.
Not all famous sculptures are listed here. Photos of many masterpieces can be seen on thematic sites. However, they are not able to reflect all the sophistication and beauty that the sculptors wanted to convey to the people. Therefore, if there is an opportunity to touch the beautiful, then you should use it and look at the sculptures of talented masters live.
To paraphrase the German art theorist Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, we can say that sculpture is music frozen in stone. While millions of tourists are taking pictures against the backdrop of the world famous masterpieces Bernini, Michelangelo and Rodin, we offer you a selection of 25 lesser-known but noteworthy stone, bronze and steel sculptures.
Funny and cute, sometimes strange and frightening, they cheer up passers-by and make the cities in which they are located a little more unusual.
Mustangs of Las Colinas in the city of Irving (Texas, USA) 
This is one of the biggest sculptural groups horses in the world. It symbolizes the dynamism and liberated spirit that were inherent in Texas during the period of its development.
Expansion, New York, USA
The author comments on this sculpture: “From the moment of our birth, the world offers us a ready-made shell into which we must fit: social security number, gender, race, profession. I thought: what are we really - this outer shell in which we live, or what is under it, inside each of us? Will we recognize ourselves if we go beyond our body?”
Monument to an unknown passerby, Wroclaw, Poland 
The sculpture symbolizes the suppression of the individual during communism and the underground anti-communist activities of the Poles in the 1980s.
Salmon, Portland, USA 
Portland is a major port city, and this fish draws visitors to one of its most famous restaurants.
People by the river, Singapore 
The author of this composition, Chong Fah Cheong, is known for a large number of sculptures depicting people who live and work on the banks of the Singapore River.
Shoes along the Danube, Budapest, Hungary 
The sculpture commemorated the Jews killed by the Nazis in Budapest during World War II. They were ordered to take off their shoes and shot near the water. The bodies of the victims fell into the river and were carried away by the current. As a reminder of the tragedy, only shoes remained.
Sculpture "No to Violence" (also known as "Knotted Gun"), New York, USA 
It was created by the Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd at the end of 1980 in memory of the murder of John Lennon, who was a friend of the sculptor.
Break through from your mold, Philadelphia, USA 
This composition symbolizes the desire for immortality. 4 figures - this is the same person who gradually awakens from sleep, throws off the shackles, and breaks out towards eternal life.
Black Ghost (Juodasis Vaiduoklis), Klaipeda, Lithuania 
According to the legend, in 1595 one of the guards of the castle of Klaipeda saw a ghost who warned the guard that the city needed to increase its stocks of grain and timber. Having said this, the spirit evaporated. It is believed that if you make friends with supernatural being it will bring wealth and good luck.
Travelers (Les voyageurs), Marseille, France 
A series of sculptures by the Frenchman Bruno Catalano was installed in the port of Marseille in 2013. Each figure is missing a significant part of the body. One can only guess about the reasons for such emptiness: is it because these people lack something, or did they just leave a part of their soul somewhere during their travels?
Nelson Mandela Memorial, South Africa 
The composition was installed in honor of the 50th anniversary of the arrest of a human rights fighter during the existence of apartheid. The monument was erected where Mandela was arrested, and consists of 50 steel columns, symbolizing the prison bars, behind which the 8th President of South Africa was kept for 27 years.
"De Vaartkapoen", Brussels, Belgium 
Created in 1985, this playful statue shows a police officer tripping over an intruder hiding in a manhole.
Cattle drive, Dallas, USA 
Maman (giant spider), London, UK 
A bronze sculpture of a giant spider is in the gallery contemporary art Tate Modern.
Hippos, Taipei, Taiwan 
The sinking building State Library, Melbourne, Australia 
Iguana Park, Amsterdam, Netherlands 
Observer, Bratislava, Slovakia 
On English language this sculpture is called "Worker", however, its name is translated from Slovak as "observer". This bronze plumber watches passers-by right from the sewer manhole. Tourists believe that if you rub the hand of the sculpture, then all wishes will come true.
Mihai Eminescu, Onesti, Romania 
Monument to the classics of Romanian literature
Episode of the First World War with figures of soldiers in full height, Eceabat, Turkey 
During the First World War, land battles of the Dardanelles operation took place on the territory of the region.
Hanging man, Prague, Czech Republic
25 unusual sculptures that you may not have known about 
Who do you think this sculpture represents? Oddly enough, this is the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Sculptor David Černý created this piece in response to the question of what role intellectuals will play in the new millennium. According to the author, the founder of psychoanalysis is the embodiment of an intellectual of the 20th century.
Kelpie, Grangemouth, United Kingdom 
Kelpie in Scottish mythology is a water spirit hostile to people that lives in many rivers in lakes. He appears in the form of a horse grazing near the water, but can turn into a sea lizard, and therefore he is often associated with the Loch Ness monster.
Pigs in front shopping center Rundle Mall, Adelaide, Australia 
The pigs are named Oliver, Augusta, Horatio and Truffle.
Unknown official, Reykjavik, Iceland 
Perhaps the only statue in the world dedicated to faceless bureaucratic work.
Headington shark, Oxford, England 
Created by sculptor John Buckley, the shark caused a lot of controversy when it first appeared in public. Oxford City Council attempted to remove it from the building on safety grounds and then on the grounds that it had not given planning permission for the shark statue. It has been proposed to move it to a local pool, but many locals supported the idea of leaving the shark on the building. By the way, the meaning of the sculpture is much deeper than it might seem at first glance: it was installed on the 41st anniversary of the fall atomic bomb to Nagasaki. In a way, the shark portrays a beautiful but potentially deadly missile.
Choose a certain amount of the most famous statues in the world is not so simple, because for each nation the concept of "the most famous" is different. If, for example, for New Yorkers it is the Statue of Liberty, then for Copenhageners it is the Little Mermaid, for Volgograd residents it is the Motherland, and for the inhabitants of Prague it is a monument to Kafka.
1. The work of the great Michelangelo "David"- is a symbol of the Renaissance and personifies the power of human creative genius. The young and ambitious Michelangelo created his David in 1501. to decorate the Florence Cathedral. Unlike the traditional image of David with the head of the defeated Goliath, the sculpture is young hero ready to go into battle. David is one of the most copied sculptures in the world today.
2. Venus de Milo by an unknown author. This legendary statue has graced the Louvre since 1821. According to experts, the statue was made in the period from 130 to 100 BC. Presumably, the ancient masters Agesander or Praxiteles could have been the authors of the work. The height of the white marble statue exceeds 2m. Found a statue in the ground on Milos in 1820. Then she was whole and had hands, but in the course of conflict situations for its possession, the hands were damaged and are considered lost.
3. The work of Rodin "The Thinker". She was also recognized best job author, although originally "The Thinker" was planned as part of sculptural composition, which was supposed to decorate the gates of the museum decorative arts in Paris. But, having completed the work, Rodin realized that the statue reveals a broader theme - a person experiencing a deep inner struggle. Dante himself became the model for the future sculpture.
4. Pietta Michelangelo "Lamentation of Christ". The sculpture, 174 cm high, was created in 1499. and today is the decoration of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The Lamentation of Christ is Michelangelo's first and most famous pieta; it represents two life-size figures - the Virgin Mary and Christ: a mother holding her dying son in her arms. The author carved the composition from whole piece marble.
5. Sculpture of Octavian Augustus. The first Roman emperor is known to everyone since school bench, his main merits were the cessation of internecine wars and the establishment of peace in Rome. Found a two-meter sculpture in 1863, it is a copy of a bronze original, which was created in 20 BC. The sculpture is said to be a portrait resemblance to Octavian himself.
6. Sculpture by Rodin "Kiss". Love has always been the main inspirational force for artists. Rodin, imbued with the vibes of one of the most romantic couples in the history of Paulo Malates and Francesca Rimini, created and dedicated his sculpture "The Kiss" to them. During the creation of the composition, the author himself was an absorbing wave of love for the young Camille Claudel, who was 26 years younger than Rodin, and therefore his work was perfectly able to convey all the sensuality and passion of such a classic plot.
7. Statue of Themis - the goddess of justice. She is one of the most recognizable in the world. A woman, blindfolded, with scales in one hand and a sword in the other, determines the "weight" of good and bad deeds man to decide his posthumous fate. The double-edged sword not only promises retribution, but also warns of responsibility.
8. Masterpiece ancient Greek sculptor Myron - Discobolus. Original bronze sculpture, dating back to the 5th century BC, is stored in National Museum Rome. Miron's contemporaries describe him as an unsurpassed expert in anatomy, but, unfortunately, he does not have the talent to reflect feelings on people's faces. The main characters of Myron's works were animals, gods and famous warriors.
9. ancient sculpture"Hermes with the baby Dionysus" by the Greek Praxiteles. The author created his masterpiece around 330-340. BC. His marble work was discovered in 1877. during the excavations of the Temple of Hera. The height of the sculpture on the pedestal was 3m70cm, Hermes himself is depicted with a height of 2m12cm. - he leans against the trunk of a tree, resting on the way. The baby stretching, probably towards a bunch of grapes (it has not been preserved, like one hand of Hermes), has, according to tradition classical art adult proportions.
10. Sculpture by master Silvio Gow Jadson “Girl from Savannah feeding the birds”. The work was completed relatively recently - in 1936. The author created it as a garden sculpture to decorate the Massachusetts garden. Four copies were made of the statue, and one of them was installed on the territory of the Savannah cemetery in Georgia.
Sculptors are masters of three-dimensional art who have worked throughout history to shape marble, bronze, wood and other materials into incredible shapes. Sculpture has always been important way understand culture and society, be it portrait busts of great leaders or symbolic image ethical principles.
If you try to count all the famous sculptures in the history of mankind, you will find that the list is endless. Today we will show you 15 of the most iconic and great works of this amazing visual arts that everyone should know about.
Bust of Nefertiti, Thutmose, 1345 BC An image that has long been a symbol of the ideal of female beauty. It is now kept in the Neues Museum in Berlin.
Terracotta army, 3rd century BC Incredible example of funerary art: 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 670 horses. The army was created to protect the Chinese emperor in the afterlife. It was only discovered in 1974 when farmers were digging a well.
Nike of Samothrace, 190 BC A cult example of Hellenistic Greek sculpture, kept in the Louvre.
Venus de Milo, 130 BC Legendary marble sculpture dedicated to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Also located in the Louvre.
David, Donatello, 1430-1440 Italian Renaissance sculptor Donatello created his David nearly 100 years before Michelangelo's legendary David.
David, Michelangelo, 1501-1504 One of the most iconic sculptures in human history.
Statue of Liberty designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel, 1876-1886 The copper statue depicting the Roman goddess Libertas is a symbol of US freedom.
The Thinker, Rodin, 1880 (cast 1904). The masterpiece of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, which has become a symbol of philosophy.
Unique forms of continuity in space, Umberto Boccioni, 1913 (cast 1931). A stunning sculpture by the brilliant Italian artist Umberto Boccioni, who died at 33, is now on display at the New York Museum of Modern Art.
Fountain, Duchamp, 1917 Once upon a time, Marcel Duchamp set the world of art on the ears with his Fountain, a sculpture that is essentially a porcelain urinal. The groundbreaking work challenged all art connoisseurs and made them think about traditional concepts of craftsmanship and aesthetics in art.
Lincoln Memorial designed by Daniel Chester French and cast by PICCIRILLI BROTHERS, 1920 Sculpture depicting Lincoln contemplating as he sits inside the majestic temple that forms the rest of the Lincoln Memorial. In the 1930s, this space became a symbol of race relations in the United States.
Bird in Space, Constantin Brancusi, 1923 A series of sculptures by a Romanian artist in marble and bronze, depicting, rather than the physical likeness of a bird, but a sense of movement. The original version is currently kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Inflatable dog, Jeff Koons, 1994-2000 The artist, who created some of the most outstanding works of the 20th century, created a whole series of similar sculptures of sparkling toy dogs. One of them went under the hammer at Christie's for $58.4 million in 2013.
Mom, Louise Bourgeois, 1999. Considered a symbol of the fusion of physical and psychological strength, this masterpiece is located outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
Cloud Gate, Anish Kapoor, 2004 One of the most famous works of the controversial sculptor is located in Chicago. The artist was inspired to create such an object by liquid mercury.
All the statues that will be discussed are world attractions and are located in most interesting countries peace. They are all different and not similar to each other, but we all once heard about them, because they are cultural heritage of all mankind.
Statue of Christ the Redeemer
Located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is one of the most famous and popular monuments in the world. Every year, at least 1.8 million tourists rise to its foot, from where a panorama of the city and the coast opens with the picturesque Pan di Azucar mountain.
moai
Located on Easter Island, Chile. These are stone statues made from compressed volcanic ash. All moai are monolithic, that is, they are cut from a single piece of stone, and not glued or fastened together. The weight sometimes reaches more than 20 tons, and the height is more than 6 meters (in addition, an unfinished sculpture was found 20 meters high and weighing 270 tons). In total, there are 997 moai on Easter Island; how and why they were built is unknown. All of them, except for seven statues, "look" into the depths of the island.
"Little Mermaid"
Located in the port of Copenhagen, Denmark. This is a statue depicting the heroine of the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. She is only 1.25 m tall and weighs around 175 kg, but that doesn't stop her from being one of the most iconic sculptures. Its erection was commissioned in 1909 by Carl Jacobsen (son of the founder of Carlsberg) after he was fascinated by the ballet of the same name.
Buddha statue in Leshan
It is located in the thickness of the Lingyunshan Mountain at the confluence of three rivers in Chinese province Sichuan. This is one of the tallest Buddha monuments and once the highest sculptural work in the world (as it has been for more than a thousand years). Work on its creation took place during the reign of the Tang Dynasty (713) and lasted ninety years. The height of the statue is 71 m, the height of the head is almost 15 m, the shoulder span is almost 30 m, the length of the finger is 8 m, the toe is 1.6 m, the length of the nose is 5.5 m. It is recognized as a monument world heritage UNESCO.
"Great Sphinx"
Located upon west bank Nile at Giza, Egypt. The oldest surviving monumental sculpture on Earth. Carved from a monolithic limestone rock in the form of a colossal sphinx - a lion lying on the sand, whose face, as has long been considered to be, is given a portrait resemblance to the pharaoh Khafre (c. 2500 BC), whose funerary pyramid is located nearby. The length of the statue is 73 meters, the height is 20 meters; between the front paws there was once a small sanctuary.
The Statue of Liberty
Located on Liberty Island, about 3 km southwest of the southern tip of Manhattan, New Jersey. It is often called a symbol of New York and the United States, a symbol of freedom and democracy. It is noteworthy that main character The United States was built and given to them by the French.
Venus de Milo
Located in the Louvre. This is the famous ancient Greek statue of the goddess Aphrodite, created approximately between 130 and 100 BC. Perhaps the most famous statue and one of the most ancient of all. Broken hands give it a special touch.
Nelson's Column
Located in the center trafalgar square in London. The column was built between 1840 and 1843 in memory of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The 5.5-meter statue is located on top of a 46-meter granite column. The statue faces south towards the Admiralty and Portsmouth, where Nelson's flagship, the Royal Navy ship HMS Victoru, stands. They say that Hitler wanted to take the convoy to Berlin with the successful capture of Great Britain.
"Manneken Pis"
This is one of the most famous landmarks in Brussels, Belgium. The exact time and circumstances of the appearance of the statue are unknown. According to some reports, the statue existed already in the 15th century. Some people in Brussels say that it was installed as a reminder of the events of the Grimbergen war, when the cradle with the son of Gottfried III of Leuven was hung on a tree in order to inspire the townspeople with the look of the future monarch, and the child from there urinated on the warriors fighting under the tree. According to another legend, the statue was originally intended to remind the townspeople of the boy who extinguished the ammunition laid out by the enemy under the city walls with a stream of urine.
Statue of Shiva in Sanga, or Kailasnath Mahadev
It is located on the border of Bhaktapur and Kavrepalankok districts in Nepal. This is the tallest statue of the god Shiva and one of the tallest statues in general. Completed just a few years ago, it is made of copper, cement, zinc and steel and is one of Nepal's first modern landmarks.
