Famous sculptures and their authors. The most famous and famous sculptures in the world

Let's start, perhaps, with Russia and St. Petersburg

Winter Palace

For many years, the Winter Palace was the official residence for Russian Tsars and emperors. It was created in 1762, and the author of this magnificent creation is Rastrelli. It is interesting that while this palace was being built, all its future inhabitants lived in a temporary wooden palace, which was built in 1755, on the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and the Moika embankment.

The palace has 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows, 1,500 rooms and 117 staircases. The width of the main facade is 250 meters.

Summer Palace, Beijing, China

Let's now move on to Summer Palace, which previously served as the summer residence of the emperors of the Qing dynasty. It is located on the outskirts of Beijing, and the palace is adjacent to a garden with more than 3,000 buildings. Construction of the palace began in 1750, and workers first created the Kunming Lakes, gradually moving on to the construction of the palace itself.

Interestingly, money originally raised for the construction of the Chinese navy was spent on its creation. Do you know who spent such huge money? Empress Cixi. Apparently, the woman wanted to relax in the lap of nature. This is how emperors rest, yes.

Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria

This palace served as the residence of the Austrian emperors for many hundreds of years. Interestingly, the palace has a zoo, which is considered the oldest zoo in the world. Emperors began to live in this place from the mid-1600s, and already in 1683 the castle (then not a palace) was badly damaged during an attack by the Turks. They began to rebuild it in 1700, and gradually the castle turned into a palace, for which the Palace of Versailles was taken as the basis.

The zoo was founded here in 1752, so it really has the right to be called the oldest zoo in the world.

Potala, Lhasa, Tibet

This palace is one of the most famous in the world. Since the seventh century AD (!) this castle has been the residence of the Dalai Lama. Generally speaking, the Potala symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and is the center for everything related to Tibet.

The complex combines the White and Red Palaces, built on Red Mountain in the middle of the Lhasa Valley. The height of the mountain is 3700 meters. You can imagine how difficult it was for the builders.

Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan

This palace is the official residence for Japanese emperors. Located in the center of Tokyo, the palace is surrounded by a moat and walls. Interestingly, the entire complex was built in a mixed style - some buildings are European style architecture, others are purely Japanese.

In general, the complex itself became a truly imperial residence only in 1873, and immediately after that main castle burned out. Afterwards a new one was built, Grand Palace, whose construction was completed in 1888.

At the end of World War II, this castle was damaged, after which it was rebuilt according to an updated design. Now part of the palace territory is open to visitors, so everyone can get there without any problems.

Sculpture is one of oldest species creativity, because people are used to depicting what they think about. Sculpture has a huge advantage over other types visual arts: sculptures and statues are much stronger than art objects such as paintings and dishes.

Ancient sculptures provide an opportunity to look at the world through the eyes of their creators, while modern ones will open today’s view of the world for descendants. Well, today it is already possible to single out sculptures that have become famous throughout the world and have become iconic for a people, or a religion, or an era as a whole.

The Sphinx is a majestic sculpture that can safely be called one of the most ancient and mysterious creations of man. The sculpture itself is a monument to a reclining lion with a human head. The impressive dimensions of the sculpture - 20 meters in height and 73 meters in length - make you stand in awe of its creators, considering that the age of the sculpture is... various studies ranges from 200,000 years to 6000 – 5000 BC.

The famous Sphinx is located in Giza, as eternal and silent guard valleys Egyptian pyramids. Today the Sphinx is going through its troubles better days: The sculpture is severely damaged both by natural forces such as sandstorms, air and water erosion, and by human efforts.

The sculpture of Aphrodite, made of snow-white marble, also known throughout the world as the Venus de Milo, is an iconic sculpture as it has almost ideal parameters, recognized as the standard female beauty: 90-60-90. The entire history of Aphrodite from the island of Milos from creation to discovery and current state is shrouded in mystery.

The name of the sculptor of Venus is still a mystery to historians, but according to legend, which is popular on the islands of the Aegean Sea, a popular sculptor in his time, in search of a model, visited the island of Milos, where he discovered extraordinary beauty girl. Subsequently, he fell in love with his beautiful model. The statue dates back to approximately 120 BC, and Venus was discovered already in 1820 by a peasant named Yorgos, who, while cultivating his land, came across a priceless find.

According to some reports, the sculpture was disassembled: the lower and top part, as well as hands, one with an apple. To date, the hands themselves have not been found, but, despite this defect, the sculpture of the Venus de Milo is considered one of the most valuable exhibits Louvre.

In 1980, Auguste Rodin began work on the composition “The Gates of Hell” and for two years he worked on perhaps his most famous creation, and in 1888 “The Thinker” was publicly exhibited for the first time. While working on the sculpture, Rodin changed direction several times.

Initially, “The Thinker” was “The Poet and was supposed to be part of a composition dedicated to “ Divine Comedy" Initially, the prototype of “The Thinker” was Dante himself. Later, inspired by the works of Michelangelo, Rodin awarded his creation with physical strength and expanded the image of the poet to the universal image of the artist, but at the opening, Rodin noted that “The Thinker” is a monument to the workers of France.

It is noteworthy that the statue of Christ the Redeemer is truly a national monument: a competition for best project statues that would become a symbol of Brazil. After the magazine “O Cruzeiro”, through the sale of subscriptions, about 2.2 million reais were collected for the construction of the monument, which lasted about nine years. Today, the statue of Christ the Redeemer is in excellent condition thanks to regular reconstruction work.

The Statue of Liberty is an iconic structure in American culture and history. The sculpture itself symbolizes freedom and democracy, and in addition to its ceremonial meaning, it was also used as a beacon. It is believed that the statue itself was a gift from France for the centenary of US independence, but the opening of the monument was delayed for 10 years and was successfully held in 1885.

The famous creator took part in the creation of the Statue of Liberty Eiffel Tower– Alexander Gustav Eiffel himself. Statue of Liberty. If you climb observation deck in the “crown” of the statue, you can enjoy the view of New York Harbor.

The central attraction of Bangkok's Wat Traimit temple is golden statue Buddha. The Golden Buddha is the world's largest solid gold statue, weighing 5 and a half tons. Presumably the Golden Buddha was cast in the 13th – 4th centuries. I wonder what the value is for a long time was hidden from the public eye.

The temple itself, in which the statue is located today, was built not so long ago in the twentieth century. And the statue revealed itself very mysteriously: for the temple, an old statue was brought from an abandoned temple in the northern part of the country and during transportation of the statue, part of the plaster was knocked off, and under it was a statue made of pure gold!

On August 23, 1913, the center of Copenhagen was decorated with a sculpture of the Little Mermaid - a monument to the heroine of the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. Carl Jacobsen commissioned the statue in 1909, inspired by Russian ballet, and Edward Erikson captured the beautiful fairy tale.

It is interesting that two models posed for the creation of the sculpture: Elline Price, the ballerina, became the “face” of the little mermaid, and the wife of the sculptor himself, Elline Erickson, posed for the figure. After Carl Jacobsen gave the Little Mermaid to Copenhagen, the sculpture repeatedly suffered at the hands of vandals and also served as a sign of protest. Today the Little Mermaid is business card Denmark - completely reconstructed.

There are many varieties of sculpture in form, purpose, and material.

The shape of the sculpture can be round or in relief.

Round the sculpture can be viewed from different angles and is surrounded by free space.

Its main types are: bust, statue, sculptural group.

E. Falconet “Winter” (1771). Marble. Hermitage (St. Petersburg)

Relief

In relief, the figure(s) are partly immersed in a flat background and protrude from it.

High relief on the pediment of the Admiralty. Sculptor Ivan Ivanovich Terebenev
There are three types of relief:
bas-relief (the convex figure protrudes less than half);
high relief (the convex figure protrudes halfway);
counter-relief (the figure is not convex, but concave)

Bas-relief

Bas-relief is a common type of decoration architectural structures And decorative items of all times, known since the Paleolithic era: the first bas-reliefs are rock paintings. Bas-reliefs are also often placed on the pedestals of monuments, on steles, memorial plaques, coins, and medals.

Sculptor S.E. Cherepanov. Memorial plaque on the house where he lived last years life from 1990 to 1998 science fiction writer G. Altov (Altshuller). Established October 15, 2003 Petrozavodsk

High relief

High relief - a variety sculptural relief, when the image protrudes above the background plane by more than half the volume of the depicted parts. A common type of decoration of architectural structures; allows you to display multi-figure scenes and landscapes.

Counter-relief

Counter-relief is an in-depth relief resulting from a mechanical impression of a regular relief in soft material(clay, wax) or when removing a plaster mold from a relief. Could be used as a seal to produce a raised impression.

Ancient Egyptian counter-relief

Types of sculpture according to purpose

Monumental sculpture

Monumental sculpture associated with architecture. These are monuments that are created to perpetuate memory famous people or significant events. Monumental sculpture is different large sizes and ideology. Monumental art received its name from the Latin monumentum, from moneo - I remind you), it should always be sublime and even majestic. Works of monumental art must be created in harmony with the architecture and landscape.

Henry Moore. Sculpture in the harbor of Riesbach (Zurich-Seefeld)
Monumental art acquires particular significance during periods of global socio-political transformations, during times of social upsurge, intellectual and cultural flourishing, when creativity is called upon to express the most relevant ideas.

Sculptor I. Kozlovsky, architect P. Butenko “The Squad of Alexander Nevsky” (1993). Pskov
The monument is a very significant monument in size. There are whole memorial complexes– territories with monumental architectural structures located on it: mausoleums, pantheons, sculptural groups, obelisks of glory and monuments dedicated to outstanding events from the history of the country and the people inhabiting it.
Memorial complex Khatyn - a village in Belarus, destroyed on March 22, 1943.

punitive detachment as revenge for the murder of several German soldiers. 149 residents of Khatyn were burned alive or shot. In 1969, a memorial complex was opened on the site where the village was located.

Of the adult residents of the village, only the 56-year-old village blacksmith Joseph Iosifovich Kaminsky (1887-1973) survived. Burnt and wounded, he regained consciousness only late at night, when the punitive squads left the village. Among the corpses of fellow villagers, he found his son Adam. The boy was fatally wounded in the stomach and received severe burns. He died in his father's arms. Joseph Kaminsky and his son Adam served as prototypes famous monument at the memorial complex.

S. Selikhanov. Main monument in Khatyn
No less famous are the memorial complexes Brest Fortress(Brest), Mamaev Kurgan (Volgograd), Victory Park (Moscow), etc.

Monumental and decorative sculpture

It includes all types of decoration of architectural structures and complexes (Atlantes, caryatids, friezes, pediment, fountain, garden sculpture, etc.).

Atlanta

Atlas is a sculpture of a man supporting the ceilings of a building, balcony, cornice, etc. The name of this architectural element goes back to Ancient Greece: Atlas or Atlas in ancient greek mythology was called the mighty titan holding the vault of heaven on his shoulders. Atlas is a symbol of endurance and patience.

Atlanta (Hermitage)

Caryatids

A caryatid is a statue of a dressed woman that replaces a column or pilaster in a building. These figures were used in the architecture of Ancient Greece.

Caryatids. Athens, Greece)

Caryatids as a pilaster

Frieze

Frieze (French frise) – decorative composition in the form of a horizontal strip or ribbon framing part of an architectural structure.

Sculptural frieze on one of the Empire-era churches near Moscow

Gable

Pediment (French fronton, from Latin frons, frontis - forehead, front part of the wall) is the completion (usually triangular) of the facade of a building, limited by two roof slopes on the sides and a cornice at the base.

Pediment of the Greek National Assembly building in Athens

Fountains

Fountains (usually hydraulic structures that perform a decorative function) are often decorated with sculptures.

Fountain "Samson" in Peterhof
The Manneken Pis is one of the most famous attractions in Brussels. This is a miniature bronze fountain statue in the form of a naked boy peeing in a pool.

Sculptor – Jerome Duquesnoy (1619)
This statue has been stolen several times and also dressed up in costumes.

"Manneken Pis" in the form of the American Air Force

Garden sculpture

Landscape sculpture is intended for decorating gardens and parks. It can be decorative, propaganda, educational or memorial in nature.

Sculpture "Cupid and Psyche". Workshop of Lorenzo Bernini, 17th century. Summer garden(St. Petersburg)

There are also short-lived types of sculptures: ice, sand, more durable ones made of clay, wood, as well as modeling, carving, art casting, forging, embossing, etc.

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. The 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

The most beautiful sculptures and statues in the world (30 photos)

Human sculpture

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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. I propose today to remember the most famous sculptures 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.

About the 10 biggest sculptural compositions can be read

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 most famous sculpture exceeds $1 billion.

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 younger brother her husband. 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 was stolen several times, including during the presence of Napoleonic troops in the city ( last time the statue was stolen 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.

For many centuries, great artists have given humanity their art, producing incredible works. One of the directions is sculpture. We present to your attention the rating of the greatest sculptures in the history of mankind. Of course, like all ratings that cannot be measured by any clear parameters, it is controversial, and it does not include all the works worthy of it, but still, it is close to the truth. And so - the most recognizable statues in the whole world.

10. Bronze David

Made in 1440 by Donatello (1386-1466), the bronze David is by far one of the most famous sculptures. It should be noted that this is the first statue of a free-standing nude human body in bronze during the Renaissance. It depicts a young David with a mysterious smile, with his foot placed on the severed head of Goliath with his sword in his hands, immediately after killing the giant. There is also much speculation as to when the statue was made. Proposed dates vary from the 1420s to the 1460s, although exact date not known.

9. Bronze statue “Savannah Girl Feeding the Birds”

The sculpture known as "Girl Feeding Birds" was created in 1936 by female sculptor Sylvia Shaw Judson (1897-1978) in Lake Forest, Illinois, for her own garden. This sculpture became famous after appearing on the cover of the 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Made of bronze, 50 inches (1 m 27 cm) high, depicting a young girl in simple dress with a sad or contemplative expression on her face, with her head tilted to the left, she stands straight, her elbows rest on her waist, and she holds two bowls in her hands, spread out to the sides. The bowls are often described by viewers as "feeders".

8. "Disc thrower"

Discus thrower - is a copy of the lost famous Greek bronze statue. The sculptor is still not reliably known, it is believed that Myron was completed towards the end of 460-450 BC. Numerous Roman copies survive, both in bronze and marble. It represents the body of an athlete in motion. Like all Greek track and field athletes, the Discobolus is completely naked.

7. "Kiss"

"Kiss" 1889, marble sculpture French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). This sculpture has interesting story, it depicts 13th-century Italian noblewoman Paolo Malatesta, immortalized by Dante in his Divine Comedy, who falls in love with his older brother's wife Francesca da Rimini; the couple was exposed and murdered by Francesca's husband, Gianciotto Malatesta. In the sculpture it is clear that the lover’s lips never actually touched completely, the kiss was interrupted, and when they met their death, their lips never touched. When critics first saw the sculpture in 1887, they suggested the name Le Baiser (French)

6. Hermes with baby Dionysus

The Hermes of the sculptor Praxiteles is famous. The statue was discovered in 1877 in the ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia. This is shown in archaeological museum Olympia. It is traditionally attributed to Praxiteles and dated to the 4th century BC, the identification of authorship being based on the comments of the Greek traveler Pausanias, who contributed significantly to defining Praxiteles' style.

5. "Themis"

The Themis sculpture is one of the most famous sculptures in the world. This statue is not attributed to a specific artist, but the fact that it adorns many courthouses around the world has made it one of the most popular sculptures. This sculpture goes by many names, including "Themis", "Scales of Justice". Themis, Themis, was among the ancient Greeks and Romans, the goddess of justice, legality and justice. Themis is always depicted with a blindfold over her eyes, as a symbol of impartiality, and with scales in her hands, a symbol of measure and justice.

4. "Pieta"

Created by Michelangelo (1475-1564), the Pietà depicts the Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus Christ in her arms. Before the Pieta sculpture, Michelangelo was not very famous artist. In 1498, he was commissioned to create a life-size sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding her son in her arms. Over the course of two years, from a single slab of marble, Michelangelo created one of the most beautiful sculptures in the world.

3. Thinker

"The Thinker" is a famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin. Originally called "The Poet", it was part of a composition created for the Museum gate decorative arts in Paris. Rodin based the composition on the plot of Dante's Divine Comedy. Each of the statues represented one of the main roles in epic poem. "The Thinker" was originally intended to depict Dante himself in front of the Gates of Hell, pondering his great poem. (Ultimately, a miniature statue sits on top of the gate, brooding over the hellish fate of those below). The sculpture depicts a naked figure of a man, in very serious thoughtfulness and a state of internal contradiction.

2. Venus de Milo

The Venus de Milo sculpture was created sometime between 100 and 130 BC. She is believed to represent Aphrodite (Venus to the Romans), greek goddess love and beauty. It is a marble sculpture, slightly larger than life-size 203 cm (6 ft 8 in) tall. Her arms and original baseboards were lost. According to the inscription on its base, it is considered the work of Alexandros of Antioch, and was previously mistakenly attributed to the work of the sculptor Praxiteles. Venus is currently on display at the Louvre (Paris). Surprisingly, the statue was discovered by chance in a field by a farmer.

1. David

The sculpture "David" is a Renaissance masterpiece created between 1501 and 1504. Italian artist Michelangelo. This is a marble statue of a naked man, 5 m 17 cm (17 ft) high. The statue represents biblical hero David, a beloved hero in the art of Florence. It was originally commissioned to be placed high on the façade of Florence Cathedral, but was instead placed in the city's main square. Because of the character of the hero, the statue soon became a symbol of the defense of civil liberties enshrined in the Florentine Republic, an independent city-state that was threatened on all sides by more powerful rival states. David's eyes turned towards Rome in warning.