Surnames of famous people with portraits. Color portraits of historical figures - history in photographs

Sculptors - masters three dimensional art, who throughout human history have been working to give marble, bronze, wood and other materials incredible shapes. Sculpture has always been an important way to understand culture and society, whether it be portrait busts of great leaders or symbolic representations of ethical principles.

If you try to count all the famous sculptures in human history, 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 New Museum in Berlin.

Terracotta Army, 3rd century BC An 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. An iconic example of Hellenistic Greek sculpture, housed 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 The Italian Renaissance sculptor Donatello created his David almost 100 years before the legendary David of Michelangelo.

David, Michelangelo, 1501-1504 One of the most iconic sculptures in human history.

Statue of Liberty, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustav Eiffel, 1876-1886. The copper statue depicting the Roman goddess Libertas is a symbol of US freedom.

The Thinker, Rodin, 1880 (cast 1904). A masterpiece by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, which became 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 New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Fountain, Duchamp, 1917 Marcel Duchamp once set the art world on edge with his Fountain, a sculpture that is essentially a porcelain urinal. The innovative work challenged all art lovers 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 a contemplative Lincoln seated within the majestic temple that forms the remainder of the Lincoln Memorial. In the 1930s, the space became a symbol of race relations in the United States.

Bird in Space, Constantin Brancusi, 1923. A series of marble and bronze sculptures by the Romanian artist, depicting not the physical likeness of a bird, but a sense of movement. The original version is currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Inflatable dog, Jeff Koons, 1994-2000. The artist, who became the author of some of the most outstanding works of the 20th century, created a whole series of similar sculptures of sparkling toy dogs. One of them was auctioned at Christie's for $58.4 million in 2013.

Mother, Louise Bourgeois, 1999. The masterpiece, which is considered a symbol of the fusion of physical and psychological strength, is located near 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.

Without sculpture, art cannot be complete.

Carving and sculpting people, animals and various objects appeared in the history of mankind almost simultaneously with rock art. Sculptures are the same paintings, only physical, and therefore expressing emotions a little differently. What statues tell us is much easier for us to perceive because they are tangible and more like us than works of any other form of art.
In this material we have collected 15 famous and significant sculptures created in different times from different materials With different purposes. Please share your favorite pieces of sculptural art in the comments.

David

Michelangelo

Five-meter statue biblical hero David, created by Michelangelo when he was only 28 years old, is perceived as a symbol of the Florentine Republic and one of the pinnacles of not only Renaissance art, but also of human genius in general.
The most replicated sculptural image in the world.

Thinker

Auguste Rodin

Another extremely popular image was created by Auguste Rodin in 1882. Initially, the sculpture was supposed to be called “The Poet” and be part of the composition “The Gates of Hell” based on the “Divine Comedy”. The model for the sculpture was a Frenchman named Jean Bo, a muscular boxer who mainly competed in Paris's red light district.

walking man

Alberto Giacometti

The most expensive sculpture in the history of mankind. In 2010, the 183-centimeter Walking Man sculpture, made by the Swiss sculptor in 1961, was auctioned at Sotheby's for a record $104.3 million.
The sculpture is considered one of the most important in the work of this master; its image is also featured on the 100 Swiss francs banknote.

Venus de Milo

probably Agesander of Antioch

Famous ancient greek sculpture, created around the middle of the second century BC, was found on the island of Melos in 1820 by a French sailor who decided to search the coast for antiquities for sale. The hands were then safe and sound, but were lost during the conflict between the French (who found them) and the Turks (the owners of the island).

Nike of Samothrace

An ancient Greek marble sculpture of the goddess Nike was found on the island of Samothrace in the territory of the sanctuary of the Kabiri in April 1863. The statue was erected by the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes in memory of the victory they won over the fleet of the Syrian king. It stood on a steep cliff above the sea, its pedestal depicting the bow of a warship. The powerful and majestic Nika, in clothes fluttering in the wind, is presented in an unstoppable movement forward. Currently located in the Louvre.

Pieta

Michelangelo

Pietà is a common name for depictions of the scene of the Virgin Mary mourning her son. The best of them was made by Michelangelo at age 24. The impeccable composition, emotionality, humanity and deep symbolism of the sculpture made it an example of the culture of the High Renaissance.

Nefertiti

One of the most famous sculptures ny cultural monuments of Ancient Egypt. Nefertiti was the wife of the reformer pharaoh Akhenaten. The bust is made entirely of limestone and is completely painted. Special safety beautiful flowers, giving a large contrast between brown Nefertiti's face and crown jewels make it a unique work of art. Egypt and Germany, where the bust of the queen is kept, have been quarreling over it for many years, but cannot come to an agreement.

Capitoline wolf

Etruscan bronze sculpture, stylistically dating back to the 5th century BC, never left Rome, the city founded by those who were suckled by the she-wolf. During the time of Benito Mussolini Capitoline wolf used as a propaganda symbol that embodied the fascist regime's desire to revive the Roman Empire.

Motherland

Vuchetich and Nikitin

One of the most tall statues in the world is located in Volgograd and is perhaps the main symbol of the struggle Soviet people with fascism. The 52-meter figure of a woman stepped forward, calling her sons to fight the enemy.

Another place

Antony Gormley

Landscape installation "Another place" - sample contemporary art calling philosophical reflections and inducing melancholy. Exactly one hundred human-height cast-iron sculptures were placed in 2006 along a three-kilometer beach line north of Liverpool. They face the sea, and during high tides, some of the sculptures are partially or completely submerged under water.

Citizens of Calais

Auguste Rodin

The sculptural group "Citizens of Calais", commissioned by the municipality of Calais, was completed by Rodin in 1888. During the Hundred Years' War English king Edward III besieged the city, and after some time famine forced the defenders to surrender. The king promised to spare the inhabitants only if six of the noblest citizens came out to him in rags and with ropes around their necks, giving themselves up for execution. This requirement was fulfilled. The first to volunteer to give his life to save the city was one of the main rich men, Eustache de Saint-Pierre. Queen Philippa of England was filled with pity for these emaciated people, and in the name of her unborn child, she begged forgiveness for them from her husband.
Rodin revolutionaryly insisted on abandoning the pedestal, although his will was carried out only after the death of the sculptor, and the figures are on the same level as the audience.

Pissing boy

The main attraction of Brussels. The exact time and circumstances of the appearance of the statue are unknown. According to some information, the statue existed already in the 15th century. Some Brussels residents say that it was installed as a reminder of the events of the Grimbergen War, when a cradle with the son of Godfrey III of Leuven was hung on a tree in order to inspire the townspeople with the sight of the future monarch, and the child from there urinated on the soldiers 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.
Since 1695, the statue has been stolen several times, in last time the statue was stolen in the 1960s, after which it was Once again replaced with a copy.

Terracotta Army

At least 8099 sculptures of Chinese warriors and their horses make up this property of China. Terracotta statues, each of which is absolutely individual, were buried in battle formation along with the first emperor of the Qin dynasty - Qin Shi Huang, who unified China and connected all the links Great Wall in the 3rd century BC.
The warriors were supposed to support the power of the emperor in the afterlife.

Golden Buddha

The world's largest solid gold statue is located in Bangkok's Wat Traimit temple - it is about three meters tall and weighs more than five tons.
During the war with Burma, the statue was covered with plaster, and then no one could reveal the secret of this Buddha. Until 1957, little attention was paid to the statue - until it was transported to a new location. According to rumors, during transportation it began to rain, before which the statue, due to its weight, also fell from the crane transporting it; It was sheltered from the rain, but the water still washed away the covering from one of the areas enough for one of the monks to notice a strange shine. According to another version, the plaster cracked from the fall.

Back in the days of living in caves, people came up with the idea of ​​creating rock paintings, perpetuating memorable historical dates. And then man learned to carve and fashion sculptures from various materials. Today, there are many of the most famous sculptures in the world that attract the attention of people interested in similar art. Who created the most famous sculptures in the world, what meaning do they carry and where are they located?

This most famous sculpture in the world depicts ancient Greek goddess love Aphrodite. The date of its creation is approximately 2nd century BC. It is believed that the sculpture was made by Agesander of Antioch. The statue, carved from marble, reaches a height of just over two meters. The statue was found by a French sailor in 1820 (on the island of Milos), who went ashore on the island and carried out excavations at the site of the ruins of an ancient amphitheater together with a local peasant. Aphrodite’s hands were at first in place, but were subsequently lost during a dispute that occurred between the French, who decided to take the sculpture to their homeland, and the owners of the island, the Turks, who did not want to release such a valuable antiquity from their native places. Today this sculpture is in the Louvre.

This sculptural image was created by the hand of Michelangelo (at the age of 28). The 5-meter statue of the second king of Israel, who reigned for 40 years, became a real pinnacle of Renaissance art. Jewish prophecies said that the Messiah would come from the line of David. And, according to the records of the New Testament of Christians, the origin of Christ came from King David. That is why this image of the ideal ruler is the most replicated throughout the world.

The author of this 1.5-meter bronze sculpture, created in 1440, is Donatello. This sculpture is the first of those to depict the naked human body. David smiles mysteriously and contemplates the head of the just killed Goliath.

The statue was created in honor of the goddess Nike. It was erected by people living on the island of Rhodes in honor of the victory they won over the fleet of the king of Syria. The statue of the goddess was installed on a rock, and its pedestal was made in the form of the bow of a ship. The sculpture was found in 1863 on the island of Samothraki. Just by looking at this statue with its flowing clothes, you can feel enormous power and an uncontrollable desire to move forward. The statue is today located in the Louvre.

This is one of the most famous sculptures in the world, created by Auguste Rodin in 1882. The author initially decided to call his creation “Poet” - the sculpture was supposed to be part of a composition called “The Gates of Hell” (“ The Divine Comedy"). But then the author’s plan was slightly changed, and the image of Dante was replaced by a unique creator. The model for this sculpture was the Frenchman Jean Bo, who personified physical strength. Currently, at least twenty copies of this sculpture have been created in bronze and marble. One of bronze sculptures located at the author's grave in Meudon.

In this sculpture famous sculptor Michelangelo conveyed all the grief of the Virgin Mary for her lost son. This creation was created by the author at the age of 24 and is one of his best works, which is simply imbued with emotions, humanity and deep symbolism. In addition, the Pieta is the only work by Michelangelo that bears his signature.

This is the goddess of justice Ancient Greece. Themis wears a blindfold and also holds a horn and scales. The bandage signifies impartiality, the scales commemorate the weighing of good and evil, and the cornucopia indicates the reward or non-reward of the one who appeared before the court of the goddess. Such a sculpture was installed at the entrance to the building of the Russian Supreme Court, but without a blindfold, which caused a lot of harsh comments in the media.

The bust of Nefertiti is one of the most famous sculptures in the world. The ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti was the wife of Akhenaten, who was known as an excellent reformer. The bust of the queen is made of limestone and is completely painted. Enough long years Egypt and Germany do not come to a compromise over who should own this sculpture.

Characters of this marble sculpture, also a creation by Rodin, are taken from The Divine Comedy. It was created by its author in 1889. This creation of the great sculptor depicts an aristocrat from Italy who fell in love with younger brother her husband - this happened while reading a work about love. As a result, the husband, having learned about this, killed both of them. The sculpture is made in such a way that the man does not touch the woman with his lips, which indicates that they did not commit a sin, but were still killed.

This is the first antique statue, which depicts a person in motion. The first such sculpture was created in 450 from bronze - the sculptor Miron is considered its author. What we can see today is a copy of the original sculpture (the original was lost in the Middle Ages). In addition, there are quite a lot of copies of the Discobolus in our time.

Hermes with Dionysus in his arms

This statue, depicting Hermes with the infant Dionysus, is made of marble. It was found during excavations of the Temple of Hera (Olympia) in 1887. Hermes reaches a height of 2.12 m, and together with the pedestal the height of the sculpture is 3.70 m. Today this sculpture with the partially lost limbs of Hermes and Dionysus is in the Olympia Museum.

This sculptural group was created in 1888 by Rodin by order of the authorities of Calais. It contains part of the history of the city, when the English king Edward III besieged the city, and people tired and exhausted from hunger were forced to surrender. Then the king demanded that six noble people come to him with ropes around their necks and in rags in order to allow themselves to be executed - in this case, he promised to leave all the inhabitants of the city alive. Seeing the exhausted and emaciated people of Calais, the English queen took pity on them and begged the king, in the name of their unborn child, to save their lives. Rodin categorically refused to create this composition on a pedestal - the figures of the citizens of Calais are located on the same level as those who want to look at the sculptural group.

This is one of the most famous and tallest statues in the world, which is located in Volgograd. The height of the statue is 52 meters. The figure of a woman who has taken a step forward calls on her sons to defend the Motherland.

This statue, installed in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), is known throughout the world. It is located at an altitude of 700 meters above the sea. The height of the figure of Christ is 30 meters. The statue was erected on Corcovado Hill in 1931. This is a fairly popular statue, so some other countries even tried to replicate it.

This sculpture, located in Brussels, is very famous. It is unknown when and by whom this sculpture was created. Many legends and traditions are associated with it. But we can definitely say that the sculpture is more than one hundred years old - there is some information that it already existed in the 15th century.

January 2nd, 2011

There are hundreds of thousands of sculptures in the world, as well as paintings. However, only a few are world famous or known to almost everyone. Today I propose to remember the most famous sculptures in the world, plus remember who their author is and at what time the sculptures were created. Naturally, this list can be continued, but I traditionally limit myself to ten. I will be glad if you want to add any other sculptures in the comments. The top order is naturally arbitrary and subjective.

You can read about the 10 largest sculptural compositions

1 place. Venus de Milo

The statue of the goddess of love Aphrodite was created from white marble in 130 BC. e. (according to other sources, a little later than the middle of the 2nd century BC) Agesander (or Alexandros) of Antioch. Previously it was attributed to the work of Praxiteles. The sculpture is a type of Aphrodite of Cnidus (Venus pudica, bashful Venus): a goddess holding a fallen robe with her hand (the first sculpture of this type was sculpted by Praxiteles, c. 350 BC). Proportions - 86x69x93 with a height of 164cm. It was found in 1820 on the island of Milos (Melos), one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea, by the peasant Yorgos Kentrotas while working in the ground. The sculpture was in amazingly well-preserved condition, even its hands were in place. They were lost after they were found. Over the possession of a unique sculpture, almost a military conflict broke out between the French who bought it and the Turks (owners of the island). As a result, a full-scale military campaign almost began. As a result, the almost broken sculpture, without arms and base with the author’s signature, was secretly taken from the island. Since 1821, the Venus de Milo has been kept in a gallery specially prepared for it on the 1st floor of the Louvre. The insurance value of this very famous sculpture exceeds 1 billion dollars.

2nd place. David
This sculpture was created in bronze, its author is Donatello (1386-1466). The birth of sculpture is considered to be 1440. This is one of the first sculptures depicting a man in full height, which does not rely on anything. In addition, this is the first nude sculpture to appear since Antique period. The sculpture depicts David with a mysterious smile, who looks at the head of Goliath, having just killed him.

David - marble statue works by Michelangelo, first presented to the Florentine public in Piazza della Signoria on September 8, 1504. Since then, the 5-meter statue began to be perceived as a symbol of the Florentine Republic and one of the peaks of not only the art of the Renaissance, but also of human genius in general.
The statue, intended for all-round viewing, depicts a naked David, focused on the upcoming battle with Goliath. This plot contained an iconographic innovation, since Verrocchio, Donatello and other predecessors of Michelangelo preferred to depict David at the moment of triumph after the victory over the giant. The struggle of 26-year-old sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti to extract the ideal from a shapeless block human body lasted two years. When “David” appeared before the eyes of the amazed public, it seemed for a moment that he was being perceived as alive.

3rd place. Thinker.

“The Thinker” (French: Le Penseur) is one of Auguste Rodin’s most famous sculptures, created between 1880 and 1882. The original sculpture is in the Rodin Museum in Paris, a bronze copy of the sculpture is located at the sculptor’s grave in Meudon, a suburb of Paris. Also, sculptures of “The Thinker” are installed at the gates of the Philadelphia Rodin Museum, at the gates of Columbia University. There are more than 20 bronze and plaster copies of the statue in different cities, scattered all over the world. The reduced sculpture of “The Thinker” is a fragment of the sculptural portal “Gates of Hell”. According to the author's plan, the sculpture depicts Dante, the brilliant creator of the Divine Comedy. The model for the sculpture (as for many of Rodin's sculptures) was a Frenchman named Jean Baud, a muscular boxer who mainly competed in Paris's red light district. In 1902, the statue was increased to a height of 181 cm.

4th place. Laocon

"Laocoon and His Sons" - a sculptural group in Vatican Museum Pius-Clemente, depicting the mortal struggle of Laocoon and his sons with snakes. The sculpture by Agesander of Rhodes and his sons Polydorus and Athenodorus is only a marble copy of the second half of the 1st century BC. e. The original was made in bronze in 200 BC. e. in the city of Pergamon and has not survived. A Roman copy was found on January 14, 1506 by Feliz de Fredis in the vineyards of Esquiline, underground on the site of Nero's Golden House. Pope Julius II, as soon as he learns about the find, immediately sends the architect Giuliano da Sangallo and the sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti to retrieve it. Sangalo confirms the authenticity of the find with the words: “This is Laooconus, whom Pliny mentions.” Already in March 1506, the sculptural group was handed over to the pope, who installed it in the Vatican Belvedere.

5th place. Disco thrower (discus thrower)
Famous antique sculpture. What we see now are copies of the first sculpture, which was cast in bronze. Now a copy of the “Discobolus” (and this copy is not the only one) has been recreated from marble. In all likelihood, the author of "Discobolus" was great sculptor antiquity Myron. Already his contemporaries noted “the vitality, the power of breathing in the statues of Myron.” He lived between 500 and 440 BC. Born in Boeotia, he worked mainly in Athens. Myron was the first to embody the idea of ​​movement in his “Discoball”. A short break is depicted between two movements: a backswing and a forward throw. Thanks to this, a feeling of tension arises, the statue seems to be moving. If the sculptor had shown the athlete at the moment when the disc is torn from his hand, the meaning of the statue would be lost. There is a special beauty in this moment between two movements: the image is both mobile and calm. You can stand in front of a discus thrower and not be afraid that the disc will fly straight at you. This impression is created thanks to the balance achieved by Myron. Right hand, in contrast to the left, is directed backward, and the face of the Discobolus is turned not forward, where the disk should rush, but towards reverse side. There is an impression of both movement and stillness at the same time. Despite the fact that he must act, he seems to be frozen in eternity. Here the goal is not just to show movement in itself, but to show its involvement in beauty. Perhaps this is why the face and head of the Discobolus are deprived individual traits and generally inactive: the sculptor strives to depict not a specific athlete - but ideal person. The “Discobolus” statue, unfortunately, was preserved only in ancient Roman copies. The best, according to experts, is kept in the Massimi Palace in Rome.

6th place. Kiss

This sculpture was created in marble by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) in 1889. The sculpture “The Kiss” is one of Rodin’s most famous and beloved works. Looking at the lovers clinging to each other, it is difficult to imagine a more expressive embodiment of the theme of love. How much tenderness, chastity and at the same time sensuality and passion in this pose love couple. However, there is a very juicy story behind this idea. The fact is that the sculpture depicts an Italian aristocrat who fell in love with her husband’s younger brother. And the characters are taken from Dante Alighieri’s work “The Divine Comedy”. The model for “The Kiss” was Rodin’s beloved Camille Claudel. This beautiful and a smart girl from a good family I dreamed of becoming a sculptor. For several years, Camille was Rodin's lover, although he did not stop living with his wife Rose Beure.

7th place. Themis, Justice or Lady Justice

One of the most famous sculptures in the world. Author unknown. The sculpture was sculpted in many variations; it is not attributed to any specific sculptor. The sculpture is also called "Blind Justice" and "Scales of Justice", there are other names. The date of appearance of such sculptures dates back to ancient times, when it was believed that justice was overseen by a special goddess.

8th place Pieta

The Lamentation of Christ is the first and most outstanding pieta made by Michelangelo Buonarroti. This is the only work by the sculptor that he signed (according to Vasari, after overhearing a conversation between onlookers who argued about its authorship). The life-size figures of the Virgin Mary and Christ were carved from marble by a 24-year-old master commissioned by French Cardinal Jean Bilair for his tomb. Italian master rethought the traditional Northern Gothic in the spirit of high humanism sculptural image lifeless Christ in the arms of his mother. Madonna is presented by him as very young and a beautiful woman, who mourns the loss of the person closest to her. Despite the difficulty of combining two such large figures in one sculpture, the composition of the Pietà is impeccable. The figures are created as a single whole, their connection is striking in its cohesion. At the same time, the sculptor subtly contrasts male and female, living and dead, naked and covered, vertical and horizontal, thereby introducing an element of tension into the composition. In terms of completeness and elaboration of details, “Pieta” surpasses almost all others sculptural works Michelangelo.
In the 18th century, the statue was moved to one of the chapels of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. During transportation, the fingers of Madonna's left hand were damaged. In 1972, the statue was attacked with a rock hammer by a Hungarian geologist, shouting that he was Christ. After restoration, the statue was installed behind bulletproof glass to the right of the entrance to the cathedral. Copies of the Pietà can be seen in many Catholic churches all over the world, from Mexico to Korea.

9th place. "Pissing" boy.

Manneken Pis (Dutch Manneken Pis; Petit Julien in French) is one of the most famous attractions of Brussels, located in close proximity from Grand Place. This is a miniature bronze fountain statue in the form of a naked boy defecating into a pool. The exact time and circumstances of the appearance of the statue are unknown. According to some sources, the statue existed already in the 15th century, possibly since 1388. Some Brussels residents say that it was installed as a reminder of the events of the Grimbergen War, when a cradle with the son of Godfrey III of Leuven was hung on a tree in order to inspire the townspeople with the sight of the future monarch, and the child from there urinated on the soldiers 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. The statue acquired its current appearance in 1619 thanks to the skill of Jerome Duquesnoy, a Mannerist court sculptor, father of the more famous Francois Duquesnoy. Since 1695, the statue has been stolen several times, including during the presence of Napoleonic troops in the city (the last time the statue was stolen was in the 1960s, after which it was once again replaced with a copy).
There are hundreds of copies of the “pissing” boy in the world, and in terms of the number of souvenirs, he has long been included in the Guinness Book of Records. Nevertheless artistic value"Boy" is not great.

10th place. Mermaid

The Little Mermaid (Danish: Den Lille havfrue) is a statue depicting a character from the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen, located in the port of Copenhagen. The sculpture is 1.25 m tall and weighs about 175 kg. The author is Danish sculptor Edward Eriksen. The sculpture was unveiled on August 23, 1913. Made by order of the son of the founder of the Carlsberg brewery, Carl Jacobsen, who was fascinated by the ballet based on the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” in Royal Theater Copenhagen. He asked the prima ballerina, Ellen Price, to be the model for the statue. The ballerina refused to pose nude and the sculptor used her as a model only for the head of the Little Mermaid. The dancer Ellen Price, the sculptor's future wife, posed for the Little Mermaid figure.

The Little Mermaid has become one of the most famous characters Copenhagen and a world-famous tourist attraction, as evidenced by the fact that many cities have copies of the statue.

First a person came up with an image - the first cave drawings were created back when ancient people lived in caves. Then sculpture appeared, and many sculptors were so talented that their works became the property of mankind.

Statue of the goddess of love Aphrodite- very famous and very ancient statue. The work is also known as "Venus de Milo". The statue was supposedly created in the 2nd century BC. This is a majestic sculpture made of white marble, more than 2 meters high. Today, the Venus de Milo is kept in the Louvre, in a gallery specially designated for it.

"Venus de Milo"

Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is known throughout the world. The 30-meter statue is installed on the Corcovado hill, at an altitude of more than 700 meters above sea level. The opening of the statue took place in 1931. The sculpture is so popular that other cities around the world have tried to replicate it.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro

Moai sculptures They are called the mysterious stone inhabitants of Easter Island, which belongs to Chile. Presumably the giants appeared in the first millennium AD. The sculptures were probably created by the inhabitants of ancient Polynesia. These are huge monolithic figures, up to 6 meters high and weighing more than 20 tons. The material from which the moai are made is also unique - it is compressed volcanic rock.

Moai sculptures, Chile

Statue "Little Mermaid" is in Copenhagen. This is a monument to the young heroine of the fairy tale by G.Kh. Andersen, created by sculptor Edvard Eriksen. A touching bronze figurine sits on a rock next to the harbour. The statue was installed in 1913.

Little Mermaid statue, Copenhagen

Buddha statue in Leshan- this is a gigantic statue carved into the rock. According to historians, the creation of the statue began in 713 and lasted for 90 years. The monument is located in China, in the Sichuan province.

Buddha statue in Leshan

Nelson's Column installed on Trafalgar Square in London. The height of the statue of the admiral itself is 5.5 meters, but it is installed on a 46-meter column and looks small. Sculptural composition was installed in 1843 in memory of the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Nelson's Column, London

Famous Statue of Liberty called the symbol of New York and the symbol of the USA. The height of this sculpture with a pedestal is 93 meters. “Lady Liberty” holds a torch in one hand and a tablet in the other. The statue has indeed become a symbol for a long time, and its image often adorns everything that is in one way or another connected with the United States.

Statue of Liberty, USA

Completes the list famous statues the symbol of the city Brussels in Belgium. This monument does not have any special grandeur, and it can hardly be called an example of beauty. Nevertheless, Manneken Pis statue very famous. Many legends are associated with its origin. What is certain is that the statue is not even a century old.

"Manneken Pis", Belgium, Brussels