Sculpture is three dimensional art, that allows you to view a 3D solid figure from different angles. It is one of the powerful artifact due to its physical presence. The top famous sculptures of all time are instantly recognizable. Let’s have a look at the 5 most famous sculptures in the world.
ECSTASY OF SAINT TERESA
Saint Teresa is a masterpiece by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1962. It stands in Santa Maria Della Vittoria, Rome. The sculpture is of Saint Teresa of Avila, who was a Spanish nun. She claims to have divine sight which made her feel as consumed by the love of God, be lifted to a high state of ecstasy, and also feel the bodily presence of angels.
The sculpture portrays one of the visions by Saint Teresa as described in her spiritual autobiography. It shows an angel that carries a fire-tipped spear and comes up before her. The angel then penetrates her heart with the spear, which makes her go in a state of spiritual rapture.
Bernini was famous as the pioneer of Baroque sculpture. He takes the principles of emotion, drama and theatricality in this masterpiece. Ecstasy of Saint Teresa is one of the most renowned work of the most influential sculptors of world.
PIETA
Pieta sits in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, and is a masterpiece of one of the most influential sculptor Michelangelo, in 1499. He completed this sculptor at the age of 24, which made up as his masterpieces.
Pieta, is a theme in Christian art, it depicts Virgin Mary supporting the body of dead Christ after Crucifixion. The famous work portrays Virgin Mary grieving over the body of Jesus who lies in her lap after the Crucifixion. You can see the Michelangelo‘s signature hanging across Mary.
THE GREAT SPHINX
A renowned and famous monument of the world, the Great Sphinx is in Giza, Egypt. It is a giant limestone statue that shows a mythical creature that has the head of a human and the body of a lion. It is one of the oldest monuments in Egypt.
The Great Sphinx gigantic structure is 240 feet (73m) long and 66 feet (20m) high from the ground till the top (its head). This makes it the largest sculpture of the world. It is still not confirm that who sculpted it and when. However, some studies suggest it was made long ago in 7000 BC and was a work of an advanced civilization of Egypt.
STATUE OF LIBERTY
A great monument and a tourist attraction in the city of New York, the Statue of Liberty has also been one of the 7 wonders of the world. It symbolizes the concept of Liberty, that has been a goddess in many cultures.
The famous copper statue was a gift from France to the United States. It was designed by a French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and constructed by a renowned French Civil Engineer Gustave Eiffel.
The Statue portrays Roman goddess Libertas which holds a torch above her head in her right hand while in her left she carries a tablet which shows the date of the U.S. Independence in Roman numerals.
It is an American icon, and is therefore printed on the country’s currency and stamps. It has also known as an international icon of freedom, and a “masterpiece of the human spirit”.
THE THINKER
The Thinker was sculpted by Auguste Rodin who was a towering figure in the field of sculpture and is also considered the father of modern sculpture. He originally conceived this statue as part of a large commission, begun in 1880, for a doorway surround called The Gates of Hell. Rodin based this commission on The Divine Comedy of Dante and some critics believe that The Thinker originally intended to depict Dante.
Many marble and bronze editions of The Thinker were executed in several sizes during the life of Rodin and even after his death. The most famous version is a 6 feet (1.8m) tall piece of Bronze. It was casted in 1904 and sits in the gardens of Rodin Museum in Paris. The image shows a man lost in his thoughts, and his powerful body shows his great capacity of action. The Thinker is one of the most celebrated sculpture of the world. It has also been initially names as The Poet, as it portrays the symbol of Philosophy.
