The Statue of Liberty is undoubtedly the most famous monumental statue in the world. She has an international reputation, and whatever the person with whom you interact, he will recognize it with a simple description. And yet, among the monumental statues, this is one of the smallest that exist. The record is held by the Spring Temple Buddha (China) and its 128m high, followed by Laykyun Sekkya (116m, Myanmar) and Ushiku Daibutsa (110m, Japan). The Statue of Liberty painfully dominates the statue of Genghis Khan (40m, Mongolia) and just over Christ the Redeemer, Corcovado (30m, Brazil). So it begs the question: Why do it seems so beautiful?
The answer is probably not unique. Everyone appreciates it for reasons of its own, but in general it is its proximity to our lifestyles that spring. It was made by a French, delivered to a friendly country, western, which placed so highlight the relations between Europe and the United States. It is primarily a symbol which the West shared values, freedom, resistance to oppression. And of course, it has the features of a European, dressed according to criteria of beauty recognized by our people, namely antiquity.
Description
Where to begin to describe this statue? Perhaps its general beauty, bringing about the virginal incarnation of freedom than purely physical criteria which are necessarily dependent on the civilization from which the beholder is. Yet the comparison with her illustrious Greek predecessor, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Liberty is widely winner in terms of artistic beauty. And the comparison can be flattering: This antique statue was still one of the seven wonders of the world ...
Model
"Freedom" has a nice nose, respectable legacy of Greek classicism. In general, this monumental French-American co-production is more of the goddess Athena seriously look, as the passionaria topless, waving the tricolor, which earned its creator a place Eugène Delacroix in the Louvre today the Louvre Lens, while she herself was reproduced in millions of copies on French banknotes. Whence comes this face so characteristic? Bartholdi kept secret until her death, so that today it is still making assumptions. It could be that the widow of Isaac Singer, that of a young girl at random on the barricades during the revolution against Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, or even that of her own mother. "Miss Liberty" exchange the Phrygian cap against the crown of sun rays represent the seven continents and the seven seas of the world, and at the same time gaining a seriousness that brings him serenity necessary for the position. Beautiful, Statue of Liberty? Undeniably, but at the risk of repeating myself, it has this cool beauty, classic, mistresses-women insured volunteers that delight the world and make pose mankind at her feet.
See as well: Sources of inspiration.
Size and shape
From a more practical standpoint, this statue is actually huge. High 46.50 meters, it is perched on such a high pedestal as tall as it. She quietly reached the venerable weight of 225 tonnes, while the dimensions of the parts of her body inspire respect: A nose of one meter 37, an index of 2m 44, a head of over 5m high ... It is Draped in large dress with many folds, hiding her breast which is not particularly generous. A pledge consensuality perhaps? At her feet, the sculptor has placed the broken chains of slavery, only elements representing freedom. And a discrete element. This statue has a fairer name her nickname: That it illuminates the world is more evident that it is the embodiment of freedom. (Reminder: "Statue of Liberty", it is only her nickname, its official name is "Liberty Enlightening the World") She wears a tablet, secular reincarnation of the tablets of the law of Moses. It is dated July 4, 1776, date of independence of the United States, which seems coherent with regard to its history.
Some measures
Height Pedestal-torch |
92.99 m |
Height head-feet |
33.86 m |
Height of the head |
5.26 m |
Width of the head |
3.05 m |
Inter-orbital space |
0.76 m |
Length of right arm |
12.80 m |
Length of the hand |
5.00 m |
All dimensions are explained here: Dimensions of the Statue of Liberty.
Its location
Its geographical position gives it an international reputation. From the French genius, it was placed at the entrance of the port of New York, probably the largest opening to the world's largest Western country. And radiation is the right word, since it was a beacon during its first years. For 60 years, all US immigration came under her eyes. She brought joy, fear, too, but mainly the hope of a better life than what was experienced in old Europe at that time.
See as well: Location of the statue.
Its design
The Statue of Liberty is a metal monster, as he likes to say some bad people. Monster, certainly not, but metal, no doubt. Its internal structure was initially wrought iron, the specialty of its architect Gustave Eiffel. This is him that will build a iron tower a few years later in Paris. In 1984 major renovations replaced it with a steel frame, more ready to withstand the elements of this marine climate. The wrought strength layer that gives shape to the statue is made of copper. It consists of 300 copper plates of 2.3 mm thickness only, which, it must be said, is extremely thin compared to the large size of the final work.
The pedestal is in granitic rocks of Connecticut, deemed highly stable to the marine weather. As high as the statue itself, it contains a museum, and the top is decorated with a balcony allowing visitors to go around, offering a lovely view of the skyline of New York.
See as well: Construction of the statue.
