The most famous sculptor. The most famous sculptures in the world

Statues are an important part human history and culture. They are all different and dissimilar from each other, but we have all heard about them at some point. Below is a list of the ten most famous statues in the world.

Manneken Pis is a symbol of Brussels, a miniature fountain figurine 61 cm high, made of bronze. Located next to the main square, Grand Place, in the Belgian capital, Brussels. Exact time and the circumstances surrounding the creation of this statue are unknown. There are numerous urban legends about its appearance. According to some sources, it already existed in the 15th century, perhaps since 1388.

The Little Mermaid is a bronze statue by Edward Eriksen depicting a character from fairy tale of the same name Hans Christian Andersen. The sculpture is located on a rock, on coastline Langelinje promenades in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is 1.25 m tall and weighs 175 kg. It was opened on August 23, 1913. It is one of the most famous symbols of Copenhagen and a world famous tourist attraction. According to the German magazine Der Spiegel, the statue located in Copenhagen harbor has always been a copy, and the original is kept by the sculptor's descendants in an unknown location.

The Thinker - bronze sculpture 181 cm high French sculptor Auguste Rodin, on which he worked from 1880 to 1882. Since 1922 it has been in the collection of the Rodin Museum in Paris. Now it is one of the most recognizable sculptures in the world. In addition to the original, there are about 20 more copies from plaster and bronze, located in different cities Worldwide.

The Motherland is a famous statue located on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Russia. It was dedicated to Soviet soldiers fighting in Battle of Stalingrad During the Second World War. When the monument was completed in 1967, it was one of the tallest in the world for 22 years (85 meters). The figure itself has a length of 52 meters, the sword – 33 m. The entire sculpture weighs about 8,000 tons.

Leshan Buddha Statue is a Buddha statue near the city of Leshan in the Sichuan province of China. It has a height of 71 meters, which makes it one of the most tall statues Buddhas in the world. It was carved into the rock at the confluence of the Min and Dadu rivers. Its construction began in 713 under the leadership of the Chinese monk Hai Tong during the Tang Dynasty. He hoped that the Buddha would calm the stormy waters that were disturbing the shipping vessels traveling along the river. The work was completed after 90 years.

Olmec Giant Stone Heads - a series of sculptures on the Gulf Coast of Mexico representing human heads big size. Carved from basalt boulders, they date back to at least 900 BC. e. and are a distinctive attribute of the ancient Mesoamerican Olmec civilization. Each of the 17 known statues has a distinctive headdress. The backs of the monuments are mostly flat. The smallest of the heads weighs 6 tons, while the largest, according to various estimates, is from 40 to 50 tons.

Moai are monolithic statues carved from volcanic rocks on Easter Island. Of the more than 900 in existence, most date from between 1250 and 1500. There are many hypotheses about who carved the moai. The most popular ones say they were made by Polynesian settlers. The usual size of statues is 3–5 m, weight less than 5 tons. The largest moai is the so-called Paro, about 10 meters high, weighing 75 tons.

Great Sphinx

Great Sphinx - monumental sculpture Sphinx, located on the Giza plateau in Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile, near modern Cairo. It is 73 m long and 20 m high. It was carved from a monolithic limestone rock around 2550 BC on the initiative of Khafre, the son of Cheops, the fourth pharaoh of Egypt from the IV dynasty.

The Christ the Redeemer statue is a famous statue of Jesus Christ built on top of the granite Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was built between 1922 and 1931 and was inaugurated to visitors on October 12, 1931. The statue is 39.6 m high (including a pedestal of 9.5 m), and weighing 635 tons, is one of the main attractions of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in general. At least 1.8 million tourists visit it annually.

The Statue of Liberty is a US national monument, a symbol of freedom, democracy and justice, one of the most famous sculptures in the world, often called the “symbol of New York and the USA.” It is a gift from French citizens for the centennial of the American Revolution. This monumental neoclassical structure was built between 1884 and 1886 and was designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, Gustav Eiffel (construction) and Richard Morris Hunt (pedestal). The height of the statue is 93 m, the total weight is 204.1 tons.

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Planning trip to Greece, many people are interested not only in comfortable hotels, but also fascinating story this ancient country, an integral part of which is art objects.

A large number of treatises by famous art historians are devoted specifically to ancient Greek sculpture, as the fundamental branch of world culture. Unfortunately, many monuments of that time did not survive in their original form, and are known from later copies. By studying them, you can trace the history of the development of Greek visual arts from the Homeric period to the Hellenistic era, and highlight the most striking and famous creations of each period.

Aphrodite de Milo

Worldwide famous Aphrodite from the island of Milos dates back to the Hellenistic period of Greek art. At this time, through the forces of Alexander the Great, the culture of Hellas began to spread far beyond Balkan Peninsula, which was noticeably reflected in the fine arts - sculptures, paintings and frescoes became more realistic, the faces of the gods on them have human features - relaxed poses, an abstract look, a soft smile.

Aphrodite statue, or as the Romans called it, Venus, is made of snow-white marble. Its height is slightly larger than human height, and is 2.03 meters. The statue was discovered by chance by an ordinary French sailor, who in 1820, together with a local peasant, dug up Aphrodite near the remains of an ancient amphitheater on the island of Milos. During its transportation and customs disputes, the statue lost its arms and pedestal, but a record of the author of the masterpiece indicated on it was preserved: Agesander, the son of Menidas, a resident of Antioch.

Today, after careful restoration, Aphrodite is exhibited in the Louvre in Paris, attracting natural beauty millions of tourists every year.

Nike of Samothrace

The creation of the statue of the goddess of victory Nike dates back to the 2nd century BC. Research has shown that Nika was installed above the sea coast on a steep cliff - her marble clothes flutter as if from the wind, and the tilt of the body represents constant forward movement. The thinnest folds of clothing cover the strong body of the goddess, and powerful wings are spread in joy and triumph of victory.

The head and arms of the statue were not preserved, although individual fragments were discovered during excavations in 1950. In particular, Karl Lehmann and a group of archaeologists found right hand goddesses. The Nike of Samothrace is now one of the outstanding exhibits of the Louvre. Her hand was never added to the general exhibition; only the right wing, which is made of plaster, was restored.

Laocoon and his sons

A sculptural composition depicting the mortal struggle of Laocoon, the priest of the god Apollo and his sons, with two snakes sent by Apollo in revenge for the fact that Laocoon did not listen to his will and tried to prevent the Trojan horse from entering the city.

The statue was made of bronze, but its original has not survived to this day. In the 15th century, a marble copy of the sculpture was found on the territory of Nero’s “golden house” and, by order of Pope Julius II, it was installed in a separate niche of the Vatican Belvedere. In 1798, the statue of Laocoon was transported to Paris, but after the fall of Napoleon's rule, the British returned it to its original place, where it is kept to this day.

The composition depicting Laocoon's desperate death struggle with divine punishment inspired many sculptors of the era late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and gave rise to a fashion for displaying complex, whirlwind movements human body in fine arts.

Zeus from Cape Artemision

The statue, found by divers near Cape Artemision, is made of bronze, and is one of the few pieces of art of this type that has survived to this day in its original form. Researchers disagree about whether the sculpture belongs specifically to Zeus, believing that it can also depict the god of the seas, Poseidon.

The statue is 2.09 m high and depicts the supreme Greek god, who raised his right hand to throw lightning in righteous anger. The lightning itself has not survived, but from numerous smaller figures it can be judged that it had the appearance of a flat, highly elongated bronze disk.

From almost two thousand years of being under water, the statue was almost undamaged. Only the eyes disappeared, which were presumably from Ivory and inlaid precious stones. You can see this work of art at the National Archaeological Museum, which is located in Athens.

Statue of Diadumen

A marble copy of a bronze statue of a young man who crowns himself with a diadem - a symbol sporting victory, probably decorated the venue of the competitions in Olympia or Delphi. The diadem at that time was a red woolen bandage, which, along with laurel wreaths, was awarded to the winners Olympic Games. The author of the work, Polykleitos, performed it in his favorite style - the young man is in slight movement, his face displays complete calm and concentration. The athlete behaves like a deserved winner - he does not show fatigue, although his body requires rest after the fight. In the sculpture, the author managed to very naturally convey not only small elements, but also general position body, correctly distributing the mass of the figure. Full body proportionality is the pinnacle of development of this period– classicism of the 5th century.

Although the bronze original has not survived to this day, copies of it can be seen in many museums around the world - the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the Louvre, the Metropolitan, and the British Museum.

Aphrodite Braschi

The marble statue of Aphrodite depicts the goddess of love baring herself before taking her legendary, often mythical bath that restores her virginity. Aphrodite in her left hand holds the removed clothes, which gently fall to standing nearby jug. From an engineering point of view, this solution made the fragile statue more stable and gave the sculptor the opportunity to give it a more relaxed pose. The uniqueness of Aphrodite Brasca is that this is the first known statue of the goddess, the author of which decided to depict her naked, which at one time was considered unheard of audacity.

There are legends according to which the sculptor Praxiteles created Aphrodite in the image of his beloved, the hetaera Phryne. When her former admirer, the orator Euthyas, found out about this, he raised a scandal, as a result of which Praxiteles was accused of unforgivable blasphemy. At the trial, the defense attorney, seeing that his arguments did not satisfy the impression on the judge, tore off Phryne’s clothes to show those present that such a perfect body of the model simply could not conceal a dark soul. The judges, being adherents of the concept of kalokagathia, were forced to completely acquit the defendants.

The original statue was taken to Constantinople, where it died in a fire. Many copies of Aphrodite have survived to this day, but they all have their own differences, as they were reconstructed from verbal and written descriptions and images on coins.

Marathon youth

Statue young man made of bronze, and supposedly depicts greek god Hermes, although no prerequisites or attributes of it are observed in the hands or clothes of the young man. The sculpture was raised from the bottom of Marathon Bay in 1925, and since then has joined the exhibition of the National archaeological museum in Athens. Thanks to the fact that the statue long time was under water, all its features were very well preserved.

The style in which the sculpture was made reveals the style of the famous sculptor Praxiteles. The young man stands in a relaxed position, his hand rests on the wall against which the figure was installed.

Discus thrower

The statue of the ancient Greek sculptor Myron has not survived in original form, but is widely known throughout the world thanks to bronze and marble copies. The sculpture is unique in that it was the first to depict a person in complex, dynamic movement. This bold decision the author served a shining example for his followers, who with no less success created works of art in the style of “Figura serpentinata” - a special technique depicting a person or animal in an often unnatural, tense, but very expressive, from the point of view of the observer, pose.

Delphic Charioteer

A bronze sculpture of a charioteer was discovered during excavations in 1896 at the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, and represents classic example ancient art. The figure depicts an ancient Greek youth driving a cart during Pythian Games.

The uniqueness of the sculpture lies in the fact that the inlay of the eyes with precious stones has been preserved. The young man's eyelashes and lips are decorated with copper, and the headband is made of silver, and presumably also had inlay.

The time of creation of sculpture, theoretically, is at the junction of archaic and early classics– her pose is characterized by stiffness and the absence of any hint of movement, but her head and face are made with quite great realism. As in later sculptures.

Athena Parthenos

Majestic goddess Athena statue has not survived to this day, but there are many copies of it, restored in accordance with ancient descriptions. The sculpture was made entirely of ivory and gold, without the use of stone or bronze, and stood in the main temple of Athens - the Parthenon. Distinctive feature goddess - a high helmet decorated with three crests.

The history of the creation of the statue was not without fatal moments: on the shield of the goddess, the sculptor Phidias, in addition to depicting the battle with the Amazons, placed his portrait in the form frail old man, who lifts a heavy stone with both hands. The public of that time ambiguously assessed Phidias's act, which cost him his life - the sculptor was imprisoned, where he took his own life with poison.

Greek culture became the founder for the development of fine arts throughout the world. Even today, considering some modern paintings and the statues can detect the influence of this ancient culture.

Ancient Hellas became the cradle in which the cult was actively nurtured human beauty in its physical, moral and intellectual manifestation. Residents of Greece of that time they not only worshiped many Olympian gods, but also tried to resemble them as much as possible. All this is reflected in bronze and marble statues - they not only convey the image of a person or a deity, but also make them close to each other.

Although many of the statues did not survive to modern times, they exact copies can be seen in many museums around the world.

The emergence of sculpture is attributed to primitive era. First with labor activity man and his beliefs.

The first great sculptors, whose preserved in the history of art, were sculptors Ancient Greece And Ancient Rome- Myron, Phidias, Scopas, Polykleitos, Lysippos, Praxiteles. They are addressed to free citizens and are in many ways a plastic embodiment ancient myths. Ideals were harmoniously embodied in the images of heroes, warriors, athletes of the Olympic Games and gods developed personality. The work of these sculptors most fully revealed the humanistic essence of Greek sculpture: the beauty of the human body and the affirmation of significance human personality.

The real heyday of this art form occurred in the Middle Ages. Donatello and A. Verrocchio took a very important step forward in the creation of free-standing statues, at which time the technique was improved bronze casting and coining, the technique is used.

Among the sculptors of the Renaissance, J. Pilon and J. Goujon in France, A. Kraft and F. Stoss in Germany, and M. Pacher in Austria also stand out.

One of the peaks of the Renaissance are the sculptures of Michelangelo, full of titanic power and intense drama. His creations “Moses”, “The Rebel Slave” and “The Dying Slave”, “Pieta” are full of tragedy, plastic power and internal tension.

At the end of the 19th century, the star of the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin rose, creating works of great emotional impact: “Citizens of Calle”, “The Thinker”, “The Kiss”.

Famous Russian sculptors

There were also many famous sculptors in Russia who left a noticeable mark on world art.

From the beginning of the 18th century to national culture interest in large sculpture is awakened. At this time, classicism was established, symbolized by the sculptor Etienne Falconet to Peter I in St. Petersburg, as well as the works of Carlo Rastrelli. Until 1716 he worked mainly in France. In Russia, Rastrelli participated in the creation of many decorative and sculptural complexes, including the decoration of the Peterhof Grand Cascade. The sculptor also worked a lot on the image of Peter I. While the Tsar was still alive, in 1719, he removed a wax bust of Peter and then created him.

During for long years Rastrelli worked on the monument to Peter I. In 1800 equestrian statue was erected in front of the Mikhailovsky Castle.

In the 19th century, an academic school of Russian sculpture was formed, which was represented by a galaxy outstanding masters: M.I. Kozlovsky, F.I. Shubin, F.F. Shchedrin, V.I. Demut-Malinovsky, I.P. Martos, F.P. Tolstoy.

In the middle of the 19th century he created famous animal painter Pyotr Karlovich Klodt, 4 sculptural groups “Horse Tamers” for the Annenkov Bridge in St. Petersburg.

The Soviet pavilion at the Paris exhibition was built according to Iofin's design. The building ended with a gigantic pylon raised 33 meters, which was crowned with a sculpture by Mukhina.

The leading master of Soviet sculpture was Vera Ignatievna Mukhina. Her work is characterized by powerful architectonics sculptural composition. One of the most famous works The sculptor is “Worker and Collective Farm Woman”, created for the international “Art of Technology and Life”, organized in Paris in 1937.

Ancient Greek myths tell about the adventures and exploits of many heroes. Legendary heroes and simple people who act together with the gods have captured the imagination of people for many centuries. Here are just some of the characters included in the “golden fund” of legends and myths of mankind.

Hercules, according to Greek legend, was the son of the powerful Zeus and Alcmene, the Theban queen. Zeus knew that his son would certainly become a hero, a protector of people. The training of Hercules was corresponding. He knew how to drive a chariot, shot a bow accurately, owned other types of weapons, and played the cithara.

Future hero was strong, brave and over time turned into a real hero.

The greatest fame for Hercules came from him. He dealt with the Nemean lion, killed the disgusting Lernaean, caught alive the fleet-footed Cerynean doe and the Erymanthian boar. The hero accomplished his fifth feat by defeating the sacred man-eating birds.

The sixth task turned out to be very difficult. Hercules had to clean out the stables of King Augeas, which had stood untouched for many years. The hero turned the river beds and directed two streams into the Augean stables, after which the stormy waters washed away all barnyard. Then Hercules caught the Cretan bull, stole the horses of Diomedes and, at the risk of his life, took possession of the belt of the Amazon queen. Tenth feat Greek hero- theft of the cows of the giant Geryon.

After another adventure, during which Hercules brought magic golden apples to King Eurystheus, the hero had a chance to go to kingdom of the dead- gloomy Hades. Having successfully completed the next and last mission, Hercules set off on long journeys. Being the favorite of the gods, Hercules, by the will of Zeus, eventually gained immortality and was taken to Olympus.

Feat of Prometheus

The ruler of Olympus, Zeus, summoned Epimetheus, the son of the powerful Iapetus, and ordered him to descend to earth to give animals and people everything that would allow them to earn food for themselves. Each animal received what it needed: fast legs, and keen hearing, claws and fangs. Only people were afraid to come out of their hiding places, so they didn’t get anything.

Epimetheus's brother, Prometheus, decided to correct this mistake. He planned to give people fire, which would bring them undivided power on earth. In those days, fire belonged only to the gods, who carefully guarded it.

Having set himself the goal of benefiting humanity, Prometheus stole fire and brought it to people.

Zeus's anger was indescribable. He brought down terrible punishment on Prometheus, ordering Hephaestus to chain the hero to a granite rock. For many years, Prometheus experienced suffering. Every day a huge eagle flew to the punished titan and pecked his flesh. Only the intervention of Hercules allowed Prometheus to be freed.

Icarus and Daedalus

One of the most famous myths Ancient Greece - the legend of Daedalus and Icarus. Icarus's father, Daedalus, was a skilled sculptor, architect and artist. Not getting along with

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

The five-meter statue of the 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 "Poet" and be part of the composition "The Gates of Hell" based on " Divine Comedy"The model for the sculpture was a Frenchman named Jean Bo, a muscular boxer who mainly competed in Paris, in the 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 a Swiss sculptor in 1961, was auctioned at Sotheby’s for record amount at 104.3 million dollars.
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

Ancient Greek marble sculpture The goddess Nike was found on the island of Samothrace on 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. She stood on a steep cliff above the sea, her pedestal depicted a nose 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 sculptural 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, the Capitoline Wolf was used as a propaganda symbol, embodying the fascist regime's desire to revive the Roman Empire.

Motherland

Vuchetich and Nikitin

One of the tallest 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, evoking philosophical reflection 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.

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. The terracotta statues, each completely 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 of the 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.

Carving and sculpting people, animals and various objects appeared in human history almost simultaneously with rock painting. 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 at different times from different materials for different purposes. Please share your favorite pieces of sculptural art in the comments.

David

Michelangelo

The five-meter statue of the 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

The 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 Virgin Mary mourning her son. The best of them was created by Michelangelo at the age of 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 sculptural 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. The particular preservation of the beautiful flowers, giving great contrast between the brown complexion of Nefertiti and the crown jewels, makes 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, the Capitoline Wolf was used as a propaganda symbol, embodying the fascist regime's desire to revive the Roman Empire.

Motherland

Vuchetich and Nikitin

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

Another place

Antony Gormley

The landscape installation “Another Place” is an example of contemporary art that evokes philosophical reflection and induces 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.

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, the 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, the 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. The terracotta statues, each completely 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 of the 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 deliberately 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.