Statues

The original sculpture (left) and the "restored" version (right)

Botched Art Restoration in Spain Renders Smiling Statue Unrecognizable

A disfigured carving in Palencia is the latest in a growing list of bungled conservation attempts by amateurs

The statue's base is engraved with a quote from Wollstonecraft: “I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves.”

Nude Statue Honoring 'Mother of Feminism' Mary Wollstonecraft Sparks Controversy

The artist says the sculpture depicts an everywoman, reflecting the 18th-century philosopher's continuing relevance today

A replica statue of Atlas at the Temple of Zeus in Agrigento, Sicily

A Colossal Statue of Atlas Will Rise Again

Sicily's Temple of Zeus once featured 38 giant likenesses of the mythological Titan. Now, a reassembled version is set to go on view

Parliament's halls are lined with art.

How the U.K. Parliament's Art Collection Is Linked to Slavery

An initial review identified 189 works depicting individuals associated with the slave trade

The statues have stood outside of the Shelbourne Hotel since 1867.

Dublin Hotel Controversially Removes Four Statues of African Women

City officials say the Shelbourne, which moved the sculptures because it believed they depicted enslaved women, failed to follow proper procedures

Critics argue that moving the bust does little to address more commonly cited complaints, including the repatriation of looted artifacts and a need to diversify curatorial staff.

British Museum Moves Bust of Founder, Who Profited From Slavery

The London institution, which reopened this week, is reckoning with its colonialist history in the wake of global protests against racism

A photo from the statue's unveiling in Central Park on Wednesday, August 26

Why the First Monument of Real Women in Central Park Matters—and Why It's Controversial

Today, New York City welcomed a public artwork honoring three suffragists. But some scholars argue that the statue obscures more than it celebrates

On August 18, 2020, flood waters threatened the Leshan Giant Buddha following heavy rains in Leshan in China's southwestern Sichuan province, where thousands of residents have been displaced by rising waters.

Flooding Endangers World's Largest Buddha Statue

Rising waters in China dampened the toes of the Leshan Giant Buddha for the first time since 1949

Bishop of Hull Alison White blesses a statue of Aslan, a character from C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, at St. Mary’s Church in Beverley, East Yorkshire.

Stone Sculptures of 'Chronicles of Narnia' Characters to Adorn Medieval Church

Statues of Aslan, the White Witch and other mythical beings will replace weathered carvings at St. Mary's Church in Yorkshire

A statue of 20th-century educator Nettie Depp will be installed in the Kentucky State Capitol next August.

Kentucky State Capitol Will Unveil Its First Statue Honoring a Woman

The sculpture depicts Nettie Depp, who championed public education in the early 20th century

Reaching Out, a work by Thomas J. Price, was recently installed on a public art walkway in London.

Amid Reckoning on Public Art, Statue of Black 'Everywoman' Unveiled in London

Thomas J. Price's nine-foot-tall "Reaching Out" celebrates black culture and rejects monumentalism

A tourist visiting the Museo Antonio Canova sat on the base of this sculpture and inadvertently broke off several of its toes.

In Pursuit of the Perfect Photo, Tourist Accidentally Breaks Sculpture's Toes

Authorities have identified the inadvertent vandal as an Austrian man who was in northern Italy on a birthday celebration trip

As protesters citing Louis IX’s history as a crusader call for the statue’s removal, counter-protesters ardently protect it.

In St. Louis, History and Nostalgia Battle It Out

The city's Catholic community faces off against protesters over a statue honoring the city's namesake

A fisherman happened upon a statue depicting the Virgin Mary and child in a river near Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Fisherman Finds Suspected Medieval Statue in Spanish Riverbed

Researchers think the religious icon, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus, is about 700 years old

The planned memorial to victims of slavery will be located in the Tuileries Gardens in the center of Paris.

France Seeks Proposals for Memorial to Victims of Slavery

Currently, Paris is home to just one significant monument recognizing the country's history of enslavement

A 15-foot-tall sculpture of a laughing kookaburra in Brisbane, Australia

A Sculptor Made This 15-Foot-Tall Laughing Kookaburra in Lockdown

Farvardin Daliri in Brisbane, Australia crafted the giant sculpture, which opens its beak and cackles with laughter

A marble statue of Christopher Columbus was beheaded in Boston.

Christopher Columbus Statues Beheaded, Pulled Down Across America

Protesters in three U.S. cities targeted sculptures of the Italian explorer and colonizer

A sketch from Eiffel’s workshop appears to show the statue with a bulkier shoulder than the final version has.

Recently Discovered Drawings for the Statue of Liberty Hint at a Last-Minute Change

Sketches from the workshop of French engineer Gustave Eiffel suggest a different plan for Lady Liberty’s upraised arm

A bronze statue of abolitionist Harriet Tubman is seen during a private viewing ahead of its unveiling at the Maryland State House, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, in Annapolis.

Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass Honored With Statues in Maryland State House

Both historic figures were born into slavery in Maryland and went on to become key activists in the abolitionist movement

The moai at Easter island, built by the Rapa Nui people

New Research Rewrites the Demise of Easter Island

Yet another spate of evidence suggests the Rapa Nui people were going strong long after Europeans first arrived in 1722

Page 6 of 11