Famous Sculptures of The World

• David
• The Thinker
• Pietà
• The Winged Victory of Samothrace
• The Little Mermaid
• The Great Sphinx of Giza
• Statue of Liberty
• Moai
• Tian Tan Buddha
• The Kiss
• Venus de Milo
• Discus Thrower
• Apollo and Daphne
• Lady Justice

With beautiful flowing lines that depict stories which sometimes remain a mystery, sculptures have the power to evoke various feelings and make you marvel at these imposing masterworks. This form of art is indeed very powerful, and makes a strong statement only through the caricatures that the creators have perfectly depicted. Here are some famous sculptures that will still remain a source of inspiration for sculptors and lovers of art. David is one of the most famous sculptures of Michelangelo, and was carved between 1501 and 1504. This tall 5.17-meter nude statue is made of marble, and represents the biblical hero, David. Initially, it was supposed to be displayed at the Florence Cathedral, but was eventually placed at Palazzo della Signoria (Piazza della Signoria). Regarded as Michelangelo's giant, it is believed to be the most expressive way of showing the spirit of the Florentine Republic, that drove Medici out of Florence in 1494. The original statue contained gold and also a gilt garland on the head. Unfortunately, these ornaments are now lost. Since 1873, the statue of David has been placed in the Accademia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts), and has been replaced by a replica at the original site. A bronze sculpture of a man sitting on a marble pedestal - The Thinker was created by Auguste Rodin in 1902. The statue represents a man in a pensive mood, possibly struggling with an internal conflict. Initially named as The Poet, the statue is nude and was intended to be a part of the door of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts), Paris. Rodin, inspired by the famous poem of Dante, The Divine Comedy, developed the first cast of the statue in 1902; it was not until 1904 that the statue was made public. After numerous castings of the statue all over the world, the original cast today of The Thinker is displayed in Musée Rodin, Paris. Yet another masterpiece of Michelangelo, Pietà is the only work by him that's been signed. Created from Carrara marble, this sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Jesus in her lap. This renaissance sculpture was carved within a year, in 1498 - 99, using a drill, and was named Pietà, meaning 'pity'. The striking features of the Pietà are the serene and peaceful expressions shown by Mother Mary and Jesus. Michelangelo did not show any traces of agony or suffering caused by the crucifixion of the body of Christ. He has also portrayed Virgin Mary as a young and attractive woman, rather than someone older in age. The statue was initially created for French Cardinal Jean de Billheres, but was later moved from Rome to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, where it is housed even today. Also called the Nike of Samothrace, The Winged Victory of Samothrace, whose sculptor is unknown, is a 200 BC (approx.) statue carved out of Parian marble. The sculpture is of a Greek goddess personifying victory, and was rendered to honor her and a sea battle. Originally with a head and arms, the statue today stands with a ceramic right wing and a missing head. However, certain other body parts such as the missing right hand, tip of Nike's ring finger, and her thumb, have been restored. The statue brilliantly and elegantly portrays victory, and the effect of wind on her drapes as she descends from the skies. It is displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Inspired by the classic tale The Little Mermaid, sculptor Edvard Eriksen chose to cast a bronze statue of the mermaid by following the trend in Copenhagen during 1913, where the city's public areas were decorated with mystical characters and historical figures. The statue was commissioned by brewer Carl Jacobsen in 1909, while requesting ballerina Ellen Price to model for it. She agreed only to model for the face and not pose in the nude. Hence, Eline Eriksen, the sculptor's wife, was used as a model for creating the rest of the body. With a height of 1.25 meters, The Little Mermaid rests on a perch in Langelinie Park in Copenhagen, Denmark. Meaning The Terrifying One, the Sphinx is carved out of limestone, and is the largest monolith (a geological feature consisting of a single rock) statue in the world. Standing at 20.22 meters high, 19.3 meters wide, and 73.5 meters long, this statue is of a mythical creature called a sphinx, who has a lion's body but a human's head. It is believed to have been sculpted by the ancient Egyptians for Pharaoh Khafre during circa 2558 - 2532 BC. The Sphinx is considered to be a guardian constructed to protect the tomb of Khafre from evil spirits. The statue has a missing nose, believed to be broken by Napoleon's army. A pharaonic beard is also believed to be attached, which may have been a later addition. Due to intense weathering, elements of which are still debated upon, the Sphinx of Giza is in a state of ruin today. Designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the Statue of Liberty is a gift to the United States of America from the people of France. This statue of the Roman Goddess of Freedom bearing a torch, a tabula ansata, and with broken chains lying at her feet, is a signal for receiving immigrants and visitors arriving from a foreign land to America. Gifted on October 28 1886, America's independence date (July 4, 1776) was then inscribed on the tabula ansata. French law professor and politician Édouard René de Laboulaye suggested that the statue be financed by France while the pedestal and site be provided by the United States. It was built in France and then shipped to Liberty Island, formerly known as Bedloe's Island, where it was assembled on a pedestal. These are monolithic statues carved out of a compressed volcanic rock called 'tuff', on the Easter Islands in the Southeastern Pacific ocean. Formerly known as the Rapa Nui Islands, these statues (887 have been discovered so far) were transported from the main quarry area, that is, Rano Raraku and then placed on the shoreline of the island. All Moai statues are characterized by their significantly large heads as compared to the rest of the body, and protruding lips. These are considered to be the faces of their exalted ancestors. The average height of the sculptures is around 4 meters, with the tallest Moai called Paro at 10 meters high. Out of the 887 excavated, 22 were carved from 'trachyte', 17 from 'scoria', and 13 from 'basalt'. They were later erected on platforms called ahu. To this date, the process of transportation and erection of the Moai on ahu remains a mystery. Also known as the Big Buddha or the Giant Buddha, the Tian Tan Buddha is a world famous statue and a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong, China. Completed in 1993, this bronze statue of Buddha Amoghasiddhi depicts the relationship between man, nature, and religion. It is situated near Po Lin Monastery, and is 34 meters tall, weighing 200 metric tons. This sculpture was made from 202 pieces of bronze, with solid framework of steel providing internal support. It was constructed with the Buddha sitting cross-legged on a lotus. The right raised hand of Buddha symbolizes eradication of hardships, and the left hand that rests on his lap stands for his vow to make all men happy. The Buddha also has a Dharmachakra that symbolizes the constant turning of the Wheel of Dharma or religion. The Kiss was created by French sculptor Auguste Rodin in 1889. Initially named as Francesca da Rimini, the title was inspired by Dante's poem Inferno, where an Italian woman falls for her husband's younger brother, and upon finding out about their affair, the husband kills the couple. The sculpture is carved in such a way that the couple's lips do not touch each other, implying that they were interrupted. Later in 1887, critics and scholars suggested the name to be changed to a less direct title, and hence it was renamed Le Baiser (The Kiss). Given the theme of the statue, it wasn't allowed for public display, and could only be seen after prior application and permission. Today, the statue is owned by the Musée Rodin Museum in Paris, and is currently on loan to Turner Contemporary in Margate, Kent (March 2012). Venus de Milo is the most acknowledged work of Alexandros of Antioch, Greece. Earlier, it was mistakenly believed to be the creation of Praxiteles, but after studying the inscription on the sculpture's plinth, the work was attributed to Alexandros. The statue is of the Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty. Aphrodite of Milos was created approximately between 130 and 100 BC. It is made of marble and is 2 meters high; the arms and plinth of Aphrodite were lost after its discovery. This Hellenistic art of third century BC is exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Discobolus is a sculpture by Myron, made between the years 460 - 450 BC. The statue now in marble, was originally cast in bronze, but has since been lost. Discus-throwing was the prime factor in pentathlon, where the physique of the pentathletes was greatly admired, since no particular muscle was fully developed, unlike other athletes. This sculpture shows striking symmetry between all the body elements, and perfectly expresses the moment right before the discus is about to be released. The discus thrower has been replicated into various forms of marble and other bronze varieties. Often, like the copy in the British Museum, the head of the athlete is incorrectly restored, when ideally it should be looking towards the discus. Apollo and Daphne is a marble sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and is inspired by the story of Apollo and Daphne from Ovid's narrative poem Metamorphoses. The statue was one of the works that was created under the commission provided by the Borghese family. The sculpture is 2.5 meters tall, and was made between 1622 - 1625. This masterpiece makes Bernini one of the highly respected sculptors, because of the narrative 360° display that it offers. Gallerie Borghese in Rome houses this statue today. The Lady Justice statue is one of the most famous statues and is a moral symbol in judiciary. The sculpture, which is not credited to any one sculptor, is the Roman Goddess of Justice. In Greek mythology, Themis' daughter was depicted carrying scales, and hence the Lady Justice is regarded as a moral entity that balances the scales of truth and equality. The first ever known portrayal of Lady Justice blindfolded is the Fountain of Justice statue of Hans Gieng, dating back to 1543. The blindfold represents that the judgment should be based on what is observed and not influenced by any partial emotions. The Greek Goddess Themis holds the scales in her right hand, but there are also numerous versions of Lady Justice holding the scales in the left hand, with the right hand holding a double-edged sword symbolizing rationality and justice. These were some of the many sculptures by celebrated artists all over the world. Although most of them are centuries old, the legacy of the artists continue to live on through their masterpieces, even today.