The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-29
Modern Wonders.

Chicago Tribune.
Among the colossi Of to-day the most famous
are the Bavaria, the Arminius, the Lion of Lu-
cerne, and the Virgin of Puy. The first of these
is found In Munich, by the suburb Louis, at the
extremity of wide plain. 1t stands on an emf
hence before the Ruhmes- Halle, sort Of pan
theon, in which figure all the great mer of Ba-
varia who have served their country by their
courage or their talent The bronze symbolic
statue of Bavaria is the work of the sculptor
Schwanthaer. It is the figure of robust young
girl, with countenance proud and pacific. The
skin of wild beast covers the upper part or the
body, and beneath this flows long robe with
soft ample folas The left hand. raised above
hand presses a sword against the breast Beside
the statue stands the Bavarian Lion A glance
at the interior gives one an idea of the size of
the figure When one has mounted the forty
eight steps that lead up the granite pedestal one
enters the interior, and a second staircase of
stone, consisting Of sixtysix steps, brings one to
the knee. The stairs, growing sleeper and
sleeper, rise to the head, where there is wide
oopze seat capable of accommodating six cooling
couples Five years were consumed in modelling
the colossus The casting-it was cast in fifteen
parts-occupied six years more. from 1874 TO
1850.
The Colossus of Arminius, the Hermann of
the Saxons. who destroyed Varus and his ia
Grotenburg, near Detmold in Westphalia. The
work is the result Of national subscription
The artist is Ernest Won Bandel the Bavarian
sculptor. The statue alone is sixty four feet
high. Arminius stands draped in long man
tie thrown back, and giving glimpse of his rich
barbaric costume. His heavy buckler rests upon
the earth. and his right hand brandishes sword
twenty>four feet in length. At his feet are the
Roman eagles and the fasces of the lictors
The Swiss Guards who defended the Chateau
daaT nila in a M nd
who proved their loyalty by giving up their
lives, are honored with monument at Lucerne,
the work of Thorwaldsen 1t consists of CO.
lossa lion stretched in high relief on the face of
a rock. The lion is twenty eight feet in
length and sixteen feet high.
The Virgin of Puy-Our Lady of France, as it
is called-is statue of colossal proportions and
placed at great height. A symbol of purity
and protection, it conveys this idea rather by the
graceful ensemble of the form and by the gen.
eral attitude than by the expression Of the face
The Virgin stands upon semisphere. her right
limb slightly bent; her foot rests upon the SER
pent that circles the globe with his folds. A
crown of stars surmounts the head and on the
right arm is posed the infant Jesus, with hand
raised to bless the world. This virgin was mod
eled by NJ. Bouassieux, and is the largest bronze
statue in Europe. 1t is placed on the PERCEPTIONS
Mountain Corneille, and overlooks the nesting
city of Puy IN the valley below. IL the interior
are placed a series of steps that permit one
easily to make the ascent.
1t remains to speak of NJ. Bartholdis s'Lion of
Belfort' a work that holds an important place
in the history of colossal statuary.
1t was intended to celebrate the heroic defense
made by the citizens of Belfort when beseiged
by the Germans in the last Franco Prussian war.
Everyone recalls the circumstances. The war
was at an end France was crushed All the ma
ton had laid down its arms Paris and the de-
partments had declared themselves conquered,
when, in an isolated corner of Asace, handful
of men broke out in open resistance For sixty
three days the little town stood siege and did
not surrender until the defenses were shattered
and hardly man was left to stand by gun.
The lion of N. Bartholdi gives one the idea of
intrepid resistance. The king Of beasts lay
couched in the shade of bis cage when the first
arrow shot by the hunter fell at his feet.
At last wounded and insulted, half rising, he
faces his ageressors It IL this position that the
artist has crystallized There is no doubt that
NJ. Bartholdi understands the conditions of colos-
sal sculpture; he voluntarily sacrifices details,
dealing in simple masses easy to seize. The lion
lies stretched on the rocks above the little vii
lage, whose defenders fame he guards.