Statues/Sculptures You Like/Love

[H3LL]

Damien Evans in an avatar thread (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=2954597#post2954597) received several complements on the statue of the Dying Gaul.

I don't think we have had a statue/sculpture thread so It's about time we did.

Please post your favourite statue or sculpture and feel free to wax lyrical on why you like it so much.

We''ll start with the one that prompted this thread:

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_318046e7c99b9602e.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8255)

Rather good hi-res pictures are available HERE (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d4/Dying_gaul.jpg) and HERE (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Dying_Gaul_Musei_Capitolini_MC747.jpg).


Have fun.

:D

.

[supercorgi]

Damien Evans in an avatar thread (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=2954597#post2954597) received several complements on the statue of the Dying Gaul.


The Dying Gaul is wonderful - at lot of pathos in that work. For some reason, I've always been partial to these little ladies that guard King Tut's tomb:
http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/323946e82def29ae2.jpg

[H3LL]

It seems, supercorgi, that this thread idea is not as golden as your, rather excellent, choice. :o


;)

.

[ImaginalDisc]

Word. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Hoellentor.jpg)

[petra10]

I am rubbish at posting pictures and spelling but my favorite is Queen Nefertiti's bust.I also love King Tut's death mask.
The thinker is one of my favourites too.

[supercorgi]

When I went to Rome, I saw so many amazing works of art. I was blown away by the tomb of Pope Alexander VII, by Gianlorenzo Bernini in St. Peter's Basilica.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9a/Face_of_Death.jpg/400px-Face_of_Death.jpg

It's creepy and beautiful at the same time. The red marble drapery really has the feeling of fabric and the bronze skeleton is just cool.

[Gilmar]

Man Carving His Own Destiny, by Albin Polasek
http://www.polasek.org/catalog/2004.1.jpg

[mumchup]

That's a really interesting one Gilmar...

I like this one quite a bit:
(Sphinx Mysterieux by Charles van der Stappen)

[-Fran-]

When I went to Rome, I saw so many amazing works of art. I was blown away by the tomb of Pope Alexander VII, by Gianlorenzo Bernini in St. Peter's Basilica.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9a/Face_of_Death.jpg/400px-Face_of_Death.jpg

It's creepy and beautiful at the same time. The red marble drapery really has the feeling of fabric and the bronze skeleton is just cool.

I LOVE the skeleton :)

Another, cute one :) by Bernini.

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8aaecdcb91.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8276)

[-Fran-]

There really are too many wonderful pieces of art to decide on just one favorite, I think :) Here's a few that I like:

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8ad810c3e7.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8278)

Daedelus Fastening Icarus Wings by Antonio Canova - 1757-1822 - Italy

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8ae24c205e.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8279)

Ganymede Offering a Cup to Zeus as an Eagle by Bertel Thorvaldsen - 1770-1844 - Denmark

I like this one in spite of the smurf hat ;)

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8ae9aba2ef.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8280)

Cupid With Butterfly by Antoine-Denis Chaudet - 1763-1810 - France

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8af610471d.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8281)

Mecury Inventing the Caduceus by Jean-Antoine-Marie (Antonin) Idrac - 1849-1884 - France

How can you not love a statue that shows a cute guy in that position :p

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8aff273650.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8282)

Icarus by Paul-Ambroise Slodtz - 1702-1758 - France

[-Fran-]

Some more modern statues:

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8b0e313ef9.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8284)

Artist unknown to me.

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8b0fb63dce.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8285)

Artist unknown to me.

This one is just so absurd :)

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8b123b21ff.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8286)

Mercury's Foot by Tomas Qvarsebo - Sweden

Contemporary art - classical motif.

[-Fran-]

And last I just find this anatomical study of a statue beautiful and interesting:

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8b1d9f0534.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8287)

Boy With Thorn, or Fedelino, or Spinario. Greco-Roman Hellenistic Bronze.

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1720246e8b2a317c50.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8288)

Turin, 1837-39. Lithograph. National Library of Medicine

Francesco Bertinatti
(fl. mid-1800s)
[anatomist]

Mecco Leone
[artist]

The anatomical studies for real, imaginary and prospective sculptures
and paintings became a genre in its own right in the early and middle
decades of the 19th century.

OK, I got a bit carried away... :blush: I am going away now :o

[-Fran-]

Word. (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Hoellentor.jpg)

Rodin, gates of Hell?

[Bikewer]

I have dabbled with small-scale sculpture, both with polymer clay and paper. I turned out some rather nice 3-dimensional paper items, (sorry, no pics) but the work is extremely tedious and time-consuming. Not exactly profitable...

Anyway, I also annually purchase a copy of Spectrum, the yearly sci-fi and fantasy art collection/competition. They always feature a 3-D section, with some stunning genre stuff. Check out any of the 12 existing yearly issues for an idea.
One that sticks in my memory was a work I saw at a "political" art show at my university art gallery.
This was a bronze by sculptor/singer/songwriter Terry Allen.
Just a bust of an ordinary-looking guy, with the entire face portion detatched and falling away, and a baseball bat fetched up against the back of the head.
The title...."The All-American Pastime".

I said it was political.....

[Hardenbergh]

I saw thousands of images of sculpture and paintings last summer when I had an uncanny obsession with mythology. I spent entire days at the library looking at images from all the different art and mythology websites.

This one isn't related to mythology but I like it.

A Florentine Singer of the Fifteenth Century (depicted in doublet and hose playing a lute), one of the most popular statuettes in Europe, was shown in 1865.


http://static.flickr.com/46/110402129_9877918037.jpg
A Florentine Singer, Paul Dubois (1829-1905), Musée d'Orsay

http://static.flickr.com/45/110402189_827279e533_m.jpg
A Florentine Singer (detail)



http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=florentine%20singer&w=95229107%40N00

There are more pictures here with several views of the sculpture:

Insecula (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.insecula.com/contact/A005507.html&sa=X&oi=translate&r%20esnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpaul%2Bdubois%2Bsculptor%26hl%3Den%26 lr%3D)

[-Fran-]

A Florentine Singer of the Fifteenth Century (depicted in doublet and hose playing a lute), one of the most popular statuettes in Europe, was shown in 1865.


That one's lovely! I like the cod piece :)


I like this one quite a bit:
(Sphinx Mysterieux by Charles van der Stappen)

This one's gorgeous. I hadn't heard of that artist before, thanks for showing it. I'll check him out.

[Foolmewunz]

No mention of Rodin's Balzac, yet?

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1108546e9c4481e511.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8307)

[ImaginalDisc]

Rodin, gates of Hell?

You Win!

[-Fran-]

You Win!

:)

[KingMerv00]

You Win!

Argh...I weren't stuck in traffic I would have won instead.

The Gates of Hell are at the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. I used to be within a 5 minute walk. Great place. They have one of the "Thinkers" there.

http://z.about.com/d/philadelphia/1/0/L/b/parkway14.jpg


The Burghers of Calais is also there (Though the one below is not the one in Philadelphia)


http://www.angrylambie.com/images/favorite%20art/burghers_of_Calais.jpg

[Foolmewunz]

Argh...I weren't stuck in traffic I would have won instead.

The Gates of Hell are at the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. I used to be within a 5 minute walk. Great place. They have one of the "Thinkers" there.

http://z.about.com/d/philadelphia/1/0/L/b/parkway14.jpg


The Burghers of Calais is also there (Though the one below is not the one in Philadelphia)


http://www.angrylambie.com/images/favorite%20art/burghers_of_Calais.jpg


I think The Thinker is nothing compared to Gates of Hell, Burghers, and Balzac. I like his Hand of God and Hand of Satan a lot more, too. But I think Burghers of Calais and Balzac set the bar a little higher than it'd been before.

[Hardenbergh]

Hermes of Praxiteles (too large):

http://www.uwm.edu/Course/mythology/0600/767d.jpg

In this picture, you can see the tiny hand of the infant Dionysus in the right-hand side of the picture. It's a picture of the famous sculpture Hermes of Praxiteles (Hermes holding the infant Dionysus) but it's a close-up of the face.

http://www.watson.org/~leigh/hermes.jpg

http://www.watson.org/~leigh/myth.html

http://www.utexas.edu/courses/citylife/imagesr/hermes1.jpg

http://www.utexas.edu/courses/citylife/praxiteles.html

[-Fran-]

I think The Thinker is nothing compared to Gates of Hell

The Thinker is a part of Gates of Hell though, in a way.

[Foolmewunz]

The Thinker is a part of Gates of Hell though, in a way.

Well, thanks for the reading side-trip. I'd thought this was largely attributed by his public, but you're quite correct. Rodin originally planned The Poet (later renamed) as the frontispiece for the Gates.

[-Fran-]

Well, thanks for the reading side-trip.

You're welcome ;)


I'd thought this was largely attributed by his public, but you're quite correct. Rodin originally planned The Poet (later renamed) as the frontispiece for the Gates.

That's how I have understood it too, yes.

[LibraryLady]

I too love Rodin, but I have a real weakness for this:

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/333946eb2ad77d841.jpg

[thatguywhojuggles]

http://www.lewes.net/rodin/kiss.jpg

[Boo]

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_113546eb3be62be1b.jpg



Michelangelo. There is none better.



Boo

[-Fran-]

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_113546eb3be62be1b.jpg



Michelangelo. There is none better.



Boo

Ohhhhh, 'Pieta', that's my favorite of his works. This and the 'Dying Slave', but this one is so touching

[-Fran-]

I too love Rodin, but I have a real weakness for this:

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/333946eb2ad77d841.jpg

But... where's the caterpillar? And the Hookah? :)

[Madalch]

http://www.lewes.net/rodin/kiss.jpg
Thanks to Monty Python, I can't see that picture without imagining his fingers moving over the holes concealed in her leg, and playing a little tune.

I've always liked this sculpture:
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/art/19th/vigeland/vigeland05.jpg

[Madalch]

But... where's the caterpillar? And the Hookah?
Wrong chapter.

[-Fran-]

I've always liked this sculpture:
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/art/19th/vigeland/vigeland05.jpg

Gustav Vigeland, right?

[-Fran-]

Wrong chapter.

But... she's sitting on his mushroom... I think she just sat on him :(

[Madalch]

But... she's sitting on his mushroom... I think she just sat on him
But the Mad Hatter and the March Hare are there, and they weren't in the same chapter as the caterpillar.

And, yes, that's Vigeland's obelisk.

[Foolmewunz]

One of my favorite surprises in New York City. I've shown her to many a native who didn't know there was a three storey tall Picasso right in their own neighborhood.

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1108546eb9a22d8a58.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8336)

This is in the drive-in court in front of some residential buildings at NYU. I used to make a trip over to see her about ten times a year. Because of the corrugated design, she changes aspects as you walk around the driveway.


(It's right off of Bleecker Street near La Guardia Place. Worth the walk if you're in Greenwich Village.)

[-Fran-]

But the Mad Hatter and the March Hare are there, and they weren't in the same chapter as the caterpillar.

Quite true! Though Alice being so small she can sit on the caterpillar's mushroom wasn't in the same chapter as the March Hare and the Mad Hatter either, so if they are going to mix things up like that, the caterpillar can still be under her ass :p

[clerihew80]

=http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1568346eba50cda198.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8337)

Because it captures the essence of Britney Spearsness.

[-Fran-]

=http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1568346eba50cda198.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8337)

Because it captures the essence of Britney Spearsness.

Jeff Koons... is your first thought, but it's one Daniel Edwards? I don't think it looks very much like her in the face, but it's a cool statue, regardless of level of Britneyness.

[H3LL]

=http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1568346eba50cda198.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8337)

Because it captures the essence of Britney Spearsness.

An unusual position for a C-section. :D

.

[chiyo]

Always did like this one--not your "usual" Degas.

http://www.ellencline.com/images/degasback.jpg

[El Greco]

I've always liked Halepas's Sleeping Girl. It's half-romantic, half-tragic and the artist was half-mad. In the photos below you can see it in its current neglected state.

[clerihew80]

I know it's an obvious choice, but what can I say? I love the classics:

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_1568346ebd39172447.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8341)

[-Fran-]

An unusual position for a C-section. :D

.

Yeah :) not to mention the bear! :D

She had one of those?

[korenyx]

I liked the the Keeper of the Plains just fine before the city "improved" it; but it is still a great work of art.
I cannot get the link to work but go to kanastravel.org and look for Keeper of the Plains.

Kore

[Andronicus]

I always liked Cellini's work, expecially Perseus slaying Medusa and the salt server.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PerseusSignoriaStatue.jpg

[Madalch]

I always liked Cellini's work, expecially Perseus slaying Medusa and the salt server.

I know why Perseus slew the Medusa, but what did he have against the salt-server?

[H3LL]

I always liked Cellini's work, expecially Perseus slaying Medusa and the salt server.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PerseusSignoriaStatue.jpg

I'm lucky to have a copy of that statue locally. I think it is smaller though....Not sure.

http://www.information-britain.co.uk/hotelimages/8007a.jpg


.

[mumchup]

The local high school has a really nice collection of full-sized replicas of classical statues. Very educational, with Victorian fig-leaves covering the naughty bits to prevent moral degeration.

[Megalodon]

It doesn't make sense if you don't know the story behind it, but it's a great piece...

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_28146eeb4deb4303.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=8369)

[mumchup]

Well? What's the story?

[Damien Evans]

Hey, cool, I inspired a thread!

[Megalodon]

Well? What's the story?

Sorry...

That is the statue of D.Sebastião. He was a portuguese King that, very young, decided to fight a crusade in the north of Africa. He got killed there, which ultimately originated the Filipin dinasty in Portugal.

The statue, which created an uproar in Portugal, translates the story quite well, with the dreaming child trying unsuccesfully to fill the suit of armor.

It's a nice piece of contemporanean sculpture, in my opinion...

[mumchup]

cool...

[Wudang]

I was moved by the Children of Lir in Dublin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Garden_of_remembrance_dublin.jpg

And some fabulous works in the British Museum
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/c/colossal_winged_bull_from_the.aspx

[zombiebex]

Couple of my faves:

http://religions-and-spiritualities-guide.com/image-files/venus-of-willendorf.jpg
The lovely Venus of Willendorf...

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/1/1b/Ac.nike.jpg
The Winged Victory of Samothrace

http://home.psu.ac.th/~punya.t/Egypt/egy11e.jpg
The incredible Seated Scribe

[rats]

I love sculpture! What a great idea for a thread! I'm going to include a museum and a sculptor in my 'favourites' list, partly because I can't readily choose :)

The museum is the Hakone Open Air Museum (http://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/index.php) in Japan, set in mountains and only accessible by wobbly tram, an example view is
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4105/hakoneopenairmuseumpn0.th.jpg (http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hakoneopenairmuseumpn0.jpg)
Their web site isn't greatly representative so I recommend a google image search (http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=Hakone+Open+Air+Museum&gbv=2&ndsp=20&svnum=10&hl=en&start=0&sa=N)if you're interested.

My chosen sculptor is Jacob Epstein. Examples include The Visitation
http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/1588/visitationao2.th.jpg (http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?image=visitationao2.jpg)
which I first saw wonderfully placed in the Washington D.C. Hirshhorn (http://hirshhorn.si.edu/) sculpture garden, where she (Mary) looks down at you seeming calm, but completely freaked out by her recent visit by the angel (at least that's my interpretation)!

At the other end of Epstein's style is the Rock drill:
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/4498/drillqb5.th.jpg (http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=drillqb5.jpg)
the 'original' version was several metres tall, including legs, and was very menacing. I saw a recreation at Birmingham's Waterhall (http://www.thewaterhall.com/).

And finally one of Epstein's more famous pieces, Oscar Wilde's tomb in the Pere-Lachaise (http://www.pere-lachaise.com/) cemetery, Paris:
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/thumb/c/c8/180px-Perelachaise-Wilde-p1000393.jpg

[lionking]

I am glad someone nominated Winged Victory. Gets my vote as well - but I was in Paris for the first time and walking on air in the Louve!

[-Fran-]

I love sculpture! What a great idea for a thread! I'm going to include a museum and a sculptor in my 'favourites' list, partly because I can't readily choose :)

The museum is the Hakone Open Air Museum (http://www.hakone-oam.or.jp/index.php) in Japan, set in mountains and only accessible by wobbly tram, an example view is
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4105/hakoneopenairmuseumpn0.th.jpg (http://img223.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hakoneopenairmuseumpn0.jpg)
Their web site isn't greatly representative so I recommend a google image search (http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=Hakone+Open+Air+Museum&gbv=2&ndsp=20&svnum=10&hl=en&start=0&sa=N)if you're interested.

That's 'Hand of God' by Carl Milles (1875-1955, Sweden)

[rats]

That's 'Hand of God' by Carl Milles (1875-1955, Sweden)

Cool, I'd completely forgotten what that particular statue was, thanks :)

Darn educational site, I had to look up Carl Milles to see who he was and what else he did! I'd love to see 'God, our Father, on the Rainbow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:God_our_Father_on_the_rainbow.jpg)'. It's shame he never got to see it. It seems the 'Hand of God' was his last piece.

[JoeEllison]

I'm biased towards the classics...

http://store6.yimg.com/I/toysandcomicsexpress_1782_16573533

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/usacomicbooks_1969_196933760

http://store6.yimg.com/I/toysandcomicsexpress_1783_21411304

[-Fran-]

I'm biased towards the classics...

http://store6.yimg.com/I/toysandcomicsexpress_1782_16573533

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/usacomicbooks_1969_196933760

http://store6.yimg.com/I/toysandcomicsexpress_1783_21411304

Well, now that's some classics :)

Why did the Hulk's pants never rip at the crotch? :(

[-Fran-]

Cool, I'd completely forgotten what that particular statue was, thanks :)

Darn educational site, I had to look up Carl Milles to see who he was and what else he did! I'd love to see 'God, our Father, on the Rainbow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:God_our_Father_on_the_rainbow.jpg)'. It's shame he never got to see it. It seems the 'Hand of God' was his last piece.

You're welcome :)

Yeah, I learn new stuff all the time being on here. I'd love to see that one too, gotta go there some day :)

[H3LL]

I'm biased towards the classics...

Your own work, Joe?

.

[JoeEllison]

Your own work, Joe?

.

Heck no. My work would probably look more like this:
http://www.csummers.org/wp-content/images/playdoh_mixed.jpg

[this charming man]

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss (Louvre)

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/183704704c61aa8de3.jpg

[Soapy Sam]

http://www.theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSa05152


I admire, but rarely like statuary.

The one above, I like. It's probably the world's only statue featuring a two legged horse.

The other equestrian statue of note in Glasgow features the Duke of Wellington. There is a similar statue in Edinburgh. The principle difference is that the Duke in Glasgow normally sports a trafic cone over one ear at a rakish angle. The civic authorities used to remove this at least once a week, but it was replaced with such regularity that they finally gave up and accepted that the traffic cone is less the act of vandals than a comment about the value of long dead generals on horseback to the modern mind.

[Unalienable]

David is my favorite.

http://www.abitnice.com/archives/david.jpg

You can't see it well from that photo but it's filled with tiny apertures between the fingers and palm, and the arm and head, of course they all had to be poked out with specialized tools, but it looks so natural.

Like all great statues, photographs can never do them justice.