The Greatest Ten Statues in the World

10. Lincoln Memorial

President Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. During the American Civil War he was president from 1861 until his death in 1865. In his honor the monument was officially opened by President Warren in 1922. Initially, the monument was supposed to be built just three years after the president’s death, but it took another 55 years to get there. This was done under the watchful eye of 79-year-old Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving son of Abraham Lincoln.

The 36 pillars refer to the 36 states of the Union, the United States at the time of Lincoln’s death. Above these pillars are the dates on which the 36 states joined the Union. Also the north and south chambers are adorned with lyrics from two of Lincoln’s major speeches: the second inauguration and the Gettysburg address. In the middle room is a gigantic statue of Lincoln. It took a total of four years to complete the 5.8-meter-high statue on which President Abraham Lincoln is seated. All in all this statue is without a doubt one of the top 10 statues in the world! 

9. Michelangelo’s David

This fascinating statue by Michelangelo is still one of the world’s most recognizable sculptures. The history of the statue is interesting in itself: Before 26-year-old Michelangelo was commissioned to create a religious statue from a huge marble block, two others had already given up because of the poor quality of the marble.
The city council itself had commissioned Michelangelo, which ultimately resulted in a statue of the Biblical hero David. He broke a tradition that David was always depicted with the defeated giant Goliath and instead made an image of David alone, who was depicted with his slingshot. In 1501 Michelangelo was appointed to complete it. The statue was finished in 1504.

The statue is no less than 5 meters in size. David’s head and his right hand are too big compared to the rest of the body. David’s determined gaze is on Florence’s greatest rival: Rome. The city was one of the many powers in the area that threatened the Republic of Florence.

Michelangelo’s David is still considered one of the highlights of the history of sculpture.
Even 500 years after its creation, it remains an impressive masterpiece. David is ready to attack Goliath with his catapult. The eye for detail shows what a great artist Michelangelo was. The statue of David can be seen in Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze in Italy.

8. Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army at Xian is made up of statues of soldiers, horses, and chariots and was found by farmers in the 1970’s. The eight thousand life-size soldiers are made of clay and each has its own unique face. They are equipped with real weapons such as swords, spears and crossbows. In addition, the soldiers are divided into foot soldiers, artillery, officers and generals. Plus, more than a hundred chariots, five hundred horses and one hundred and fifty horsemen have been found.

The terracotta army has guarded the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi (259 – 210 BC), the first emperor of China, for more than 2000 years. By means of endless campaigns he managed to make China into one empire and it was Qin who ordered the conversion of the loose defensive walls of China into a long defense line: the Great Wall of China.

When Qin came to power, he almost immediately started building his own tomb. The complex was meant to be a shelter for eternity, for Qin was sure his life would continue underground. To ensure that he would not be short of anything, dozens of burial chambers full of gifts were set up. The Terracotta Army belonging to it was intended to accompany and protect him during his stay in the afterlife.

7. The Little Mermaid

The famous statue ‘The Little Mermaid’ (a mythical creature from the sea, half woman, half fish) sits on a rock in the harbor of Copenhagen, watching the ships pass by. The story of The Little Mermaid is about a 15 year old Little Mermaid who saves the life of a shipwrecked prince and sets off on a perilous quest to win his love, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale.
The Little Mermaid is one of the most famous monuments in Copenhagen, only four feet tall and the statue was officially unveiled on 23 August 1913.

6. Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho

The temple complex of Wat Pho is best known for its 46-meter statue of the reclining golden Buddha. This represents the final stage of his illness, just prior to entering Nirvana, ending all reincarnations. This impressive top 10 statue is fifteen meters high and 46 meters long.

Wat Pho is one of the oldest temples in Bangkok and was built in 1788 before this metropolis was made the national capital by King Rama I. The original name is Wat Photaram from which the name Wat Pho is derived. This refers to the monastery of the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya in India. This is the place where Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment. With an area of 80,000 square meters, Wat Pho is one of the largest temples in Bangkok. You will find more than a thousand Buddha statues here, more than anywhere else in the world. A must visit when in Bangkok.

5. The Thinker – Rodin

Originally, the image of Rodin was not intended at all as a thinker, but as a poet. The seated man who seems to be lost in thought, with his chin resting on his bent right hand, is not just anyone. The Thinker (Le penseur) presents Dante Alighieri, the medieval poet who wrote the timeless epic La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy) about his fictional journey to hell, purgatory and heaven.
‘The Thinker’ was finished in 1881. Rodin mainly drew inspiration from Michelangelo, but also from Donatello, who was an example for him.

4. Moai statues of Rapa Nui

The monoliths of Easter Island are essential in this list of the top 10 statues in the world! The country was discovered by the Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen on Easter Monday, April 5, 1722, hence the name Easter Island. The monoliths (made from a single stone) on Easter Island are towering stone statues – known as Moai – that have watched over the island for centuries. These huge heads were carved from volcanic rock and are believed to have been by the island’s ancient inhabitants from the 11th century onwards. Some statues in the past wore a pukao, a headgear hewn from a very light red volcanic stone.
There are about 900 to 1000 Moai, of which the average height is about 4 meters, with a width of 1.6 meters. With a weight of 12 tons, these are large statues that you cannot just move. The largest statue is called Paro and is even 10 meters high with a weight of 75 tons(!)

3. Sphinx of Gizeh

The Great Sphinx of Giza is located near the three great pyramids in Giza, a suburb of the Egyptian capital Cairo. The Great Sphinx of Giza is the most famous statue measuring a total of 57 meters long, 6 meters wide and 20 meters high and consists of three layers of limestone.
It is not entirely clear how old the Sphinx of Giza is. It is an image of a deity with the body of a lion and the head of a human. In 1925, the entire body of the Sphinx was excavated. Striking about the Sphinx is that the head is small in relation to the rest of the body. One of the theories is that there used to be a lion’s head on the statue and that later a pharaoh ordered to carve his own head.

2. Christ Redeemer

The second place in the top 10 statues in the world goes to Christ Redeemer. This enormous Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ is located on the Corcovado mountain overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. The statue is 38 metres high, including its 8-metre pedestal and the span between the two arms is 28 metres. The statue, Christ Redeemer, was created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and was completed on October 12, 1931.
In 2007 the iconic statue of Christ Redeemer was declared one of the new wonders of the world.
Not only the statue itself is impressive, but the view from Mount Corcovado it a visit worth itself. For me it is definitely the best view in the world!

1. Statue of Liberty

This statue of ‘Freedom Illuminating the World’ was made in Paris by the French sculptor Bartholdi, in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel who was responsible for the steel structure. Eiffel is of course the famous French constructor, who previously also built the Eiffel Tower.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to America on the 100th American Independence Day in 1886. Standing at the entrance to New York Harbor on Liberty Island, the Statue of Liberty has welcomed millions of immigrants ever since.

The statue is a woman with a crown on her head, a flaming torch in her right hand and a stone plaque that reads “JULY IV MDCCLXXVI” (July 4, 1776). That date is the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. Independence Day is an important holiday in America to this day. The Statue of Liberty weighs 225 tons and is 93 meters high including the pedestal (46 meters excluding the pedestal). 

Could there be any other statue on the first place in the top 10 statues of the world than Lady Liberty? Hell no!