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Top 10 Must-See Famous Statues


all right it’s getting late it’s almost
midnight let’s go Venkman here’s
something off the request line from
Liberty Island there’s some of the most
instantly recognizable structures in the
world
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
iconic statues for this list we’re
ranking the most impressive and widely
known statues from around the world size
scope and construction will be taken
into consideration but will also be
judging how these statues have inserted
themselves into the public consciousness
and remained there number ten the
thinker the thinker this bronze
sculpture by French artist Auguste Rodin
stands in a garden of Philadelphia’s
Vardhan Museum and is often used to
represent the study of philosophy and
its impact on humanity Claude uh first
began what would become the thinker in
1880 but the contemplative work we know
and love today did not arrive until 1904
essentially a nude male figure he
appears lost in deep thought with his
chin resting on one hand presumably
contemplating such ideas as existence
and knowledge it’s a memorable image and
one that often serves as inspiration for
the poets artists writers and musicians
who visit it on a daily basis alright
well I got two poses to choose from the
thinker or the stinker number nine the
motherland calls
notable as the tallest female statue in
the world serving as a symbol of Russian
pride and rivaling the famed worker and
co-host woman sculptures the motherland
calls represents Russia’s victory in
Stalingrad against the Axis powers
during World War two utilizing a
combination of concrete and wire rope
sculptor yevgeny Vukovich and structural
engineer Nikolay nikitin collaborated on
the project which depicts a warrior
woman with a sword in her right hand and
a welcoming gesture with her left indeed
the motherland calls remains an
impressive piece of art to this day
standing not only as a memory of Russian
military prowess but of the country
itself
number eight the Terracotta Army is a
huge range of faces here very individual
very individual while many statues are
impressive because of their volume the
Terracotta Army is impressive based on
its sheer quantity this collection of
horses warriors and chariots was buried
with China’s first emperor Qin Shihuang
with the intent of offering him
protection during his journey to the
afterlife and is made up of thousands of
individual sculptures since it’s 1974
discovery the 3rd century BC Terracotta
Army has earned international
appreciation thanks to its impressive
image of ancient feudal china other non
military figures were also carved and
buried in other pits including acrobats
and musicians which were likely intended
to keep the Emperor amused and
entertained when the Emperor built the
wall he buried his enemies underneath it
and cursed their souls to hold it up for
eternity number 7 the Liu Shan giant
Buddha 10 stories high hundred monks
could sit on just one foot and he stood
up he almost be eye-to-eye with the
Statue of Liberty
this Tang Dynasty statue is a huge
impressive structure indeed standing at
233 feet tall and carved out of a cliff
face in southern China near the city of
the shed it’s the largest stone statue
of Buddha in the world and is said to
have taken so much material out of the
cliff during its construction that the
currents of the surrounding daddu Ming
Qiong and Qing Yi rivers were changed
due to falling deposits the creators of
the Liu Shan giant Buddha even
constructed a drainage system in order
to minimize weathering damage from the
surrounding elements this has kept the
iconic statue in surprisingly good shape
especially considering its over 1,300
year history like most all fellows the
Buddhas got a little bit of foliage
growing out of his ears and nose but
he’s looking pretty good for 1,300
between you and me
dumb number six the Venus de Milo sat
Easter lavish gloomy often or Takumi
Venus de Milo carved by dummy others and
Hoover exclusively in the medium of
gummi there are plenty of iconic Greek
sculptures out there but this one might
be the most famous the Venus de Milo was
likely constructed around 100 BC and his
representative of Aphrodite Greek
goddess of love and desire the most
famous aspect of the Venus de Milo her
absent limbs actually has nothing to do
with its construction but rather its
condition she has one less arm than you
yeah my concern the statue also known as
the Aphrodite of Melosh was actually
discovered like this on the Greek island
of Melos prior to it being displayed in
the Louvre in France and yet this damage
has only gone on to serve as one of the
ancient Greek sculptures most memorable
and defining characteristics
what a beauty kinda reminds me of that
statue the babe without the arms Venus
de Milo
the name was Milo but that’s beside the
point number five the Statue of Liberty
kinda makes you wonder doesn’t it wonder
what whether she’s naked under that toga
she’s French you know that this gigantic
and iconic statue serves not only as one
of the most easily recognizable
sculptures in the entire world but also
as a national symbol of freedom and of
the country of the United States
designed in copper by Frederic Auguste
Bartholdi
and built by Gustav FL the statue was
gifted to America from the people of
France in 1886 the date of America’s
Declaration of Independence is inscribed
upon Lady Liberty’s tablet of law
meanwhile the shattered shackles of
oppression lie at her feet representing
the country’s tolerance of immigrants
within its borders and serving as a
symbol of hope freedom and justice for
all who enter
number four Michelangelo’s David it’s my
masterpiece
yeah but why’d you give me such a small
penis penis yeah you gave me the world’s
tiniest penis the biblical figure of
King David has been cast by many
sculptors over the course of history but
it’s Michelangelo’s marble depiction of
him that is probably the most well known
in the world the sculpture combines male
Beauty forum and strength in its
representation of a nude David with eyes
affixed firmly in a telling and defiant
stare like a baby’s pinky Lorenzo I just
sculpted what I saw you could have at
least enhanced it a little I thought I
did the Biblical Kings reputation as a
wise and fearsome warrior was well
documented in such stories as his battle
with Goliath while the statues home city
of Florence was often threatened by
larger rivals such as Rome with David’s
symbolic protection however Florence
felt it had enough strength to survive
and thrive against adversity Peeta you
bought the Statue of David I don’t I
just rented it yeah they’re gonna be
kicked out a penis broke off while I was
loading it into the car number three the
moai Hayes Larry Oh your name Doug Doug
these mysterious and ominous statues
serve as the stoic guardians of Easter
Island a Pacific island near the
Polynesian triangle the moai statues are
defined by their large and imposing
heads which sit atop sturdy bodies
carved from tough a type of rock that is
formed from volcanic ash the moai were
carved by the Rapa Nui the indigenous
Polynesians of Easter Island who see the
statues as their most precious resource
indeed the Rapa Nui absolutely depend on
tourism and all of the travellers who
come to the small Chilean island to see
these iconic sculptures in the flesh
number two Christ the Redeemer I saw a
thing from a distance
Jesus top of a hill looking like he’s a
you know about to bungee jump this
gigantic symbol of Christianity is one
of the most easily recognizable statues
in the world thanks to its depiction of
a regal Jesus Christ whose outstretched
arms welcome all who enter into the city
of Rio de Janeiro Brazil Christ the
Redeemer possesses a truly international
construction history with its face
having been designed by Romanian artist
Georg alien ADA with the other members
of the collaborative team including
Francis Alba Co the Polish French artist
Paul and offski as well as Brazil’s own
a third da Silva Costa it’s sheer size
and scope are impressive when seen from
land sea and air so much so that Christ
the Redeemer has been listed as one of
the new seven wonders of the world sight
but when I was looking up I thought the
chin looks a bit big it’s like that all
the rest of it is brilliant the
proportions his arms and that his body
but they just need to chip away a bit
more I reckon before we reveal our top
iconic statue here are some honorable
mentions Muhammad GAE is an accountant
who works and lives in the neighborhood
near the statue he is also a Muslim and
he says the scantily clad woman does not
reflect Senegal’s religious views he was
responsible Michelangelo that is for
helping to put it back together and in
the process of doing so of course he
would have had to repair it maybe even
polish it why did they look so different
had colonists from Africa carve them
were they the work of survivors from
Atlantis
number one the Great Sphinx of Giza so I
spent five years here mapping every
stone to scale this was my office and I
would take my break here this great
mythological creature traditionally
possesses the body of a lion and the
head of a human depending on whether
we’re talking ancient Greece or ancient
Egypt
sometimes giant wings from an eagle the
Great Sphinx of Giza
which like most Egyptian sphinxes
doesn’t have wings is the most regal and
iconic of all the sculpted sphinxes in
the world standing as the largest
monolith at over 241 feet long and 6 to
6 feet high the human face of the Great
Sphinx is said to represent that of the
ancient Egyptian pharaoh kafra of the
4th dynasty there are many mysteries
swirling around the actual construction
and purpose of the Great Sphinx
including how its nose became damaged
and missing which has led to
archeological discussions that continue
to this very day
do you agree with our list which statue
do you feel is the most iconic
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