Do you know the legendary stories behind famous statues?

NO.1. Statue of Liberty, New York, USA

The Statue of Liberty has been standing near the mouth of the Hudson River in the harbor of New York City, USA since 1886. In many movies, the immigrants who came to the United States by ship in the last century saw this statue from a distance in this port.

This statue was actually a gift from the French government to the U.S. government to celebrate the 100th anniversary of U.S. independence. In 1869, Bartholdi completed the sketch design of the Statue of Liberty. Construction began in 1874 and took ten years to complete. The entire bronze statue is made of 120 tons of steel as the skeleton and 80 tons of copper sheets as the outer skin. When it was presented as a gift in 1884, the Statue of Liberty was packed into 210 boxes and transported to New York Port, but at that time the U.S. government did not even think of putting it in the There, the foundation stone for the construction of the base of the statue began to be laid in New York Harbor later. Two years later, in 1886, 75 workers assembled 300,000 rivets and about 100 parts on the scaffolding, and the Statue of Liberty was finally officially unveiled to the world.

NO.2. Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This huge statue of Christ on Mount Cristo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is the most famous statue in the world. No matter who sees it, With this statue, everyone will immediately know that this is Rio. Especially after the 2016 Rio Olympics, a large number of promotional videos and live broadcasts increased the popularity of this statue.

This statue was built in 1931 and stands on the top of the 710-meter-high Corcovado Mountain in the Rio de Janeiro National Forest Park, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It can be seen from all angles in downtown Rio de Janeiro. The shape with outstretched arms looks like a cross from a distance. In addition, clouds appear from time to time floating on the top of the mountain, making the statue looming, making it even more mysterious and holy.

In order to build this statue, many design competitions were conducted. In the end, Paul Landowski, a monument sculptor from France, won the competition. He designed "Christ the Redeemer Spreads Double The shape of the "arm" was finally approved. In terms of construction, the interior of the statue was made of reinforced concrete to better fit the shape of the cross. The outer material is talc, which makes it resistant to harsh weather. In order to transport these materials to the top of the mountain, the city of Rio also specially built an uphill railway on Corcovado Mountain. Despite this, the statue has been standing for 76 years and has undergone many repairs. If you look closely, you will find that the colors of Jesus' body are not consistent.

NO.3. The Thinker, France·Paris

"The Thinker" is a masterpiece of sculpture by the French sculptor Rodin. In 1880, the French Decorative Arts Museum was about to start construction, and the French government commissioned Rodin Decorative carvings were made for its bronze doors. Rodin decided to use Dante's "Divine Comedy: Inferno" as the theme to create a sculpture representing hell on earth. This seated human figure was originally part of Rodin's giant sculpture "Gates of Hell". He stands high on the lintel of the Gate of Hell. Below him are a group of figures struggling in sin, suffering, and despair. Group sculptures. He leaned over and lowered his head, supporting his chin with his hand, as if he was shocked by the thrilling tragic scene in front of him, and was lost in painful contemplation. This is where the name "The Thinker" comes from. But it was not until Rodin passed away with regret in 1917 that he was unable to complete the complete set of works "The Gates of Hell", but he left behind a world-famous thinker.

"The Thinker" has evolved into multiple versions of sculptures from the initial plaster model to the bronze statue. Today, the original works can be seen in the Paris Museum and the Rodin Museum, and in many In other cities, you may encounter this thoughtful thinker by chance. In the eyes of today's people, "The Thinker" is still an image of a thinker. As Rodin himself said, "He not only thinks with his brain, dilated noses and closed lips, he also uses his arms, legs, and back to think." Think with your muscles, think with your clenched fists and tense toes.

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