Posted on
May 10, 2025
in
Photos
What ties together Cu Chulainn and Lady Liberty? The sense of autonomy they lend to liberated nations? Their mutual comfort with eagles? Well, it’s both of those things, but it’s also their second lives as monuments in major cities. Taken together, they prove that a decent statue can telegraph the culture of a country, as two of our photographers made clear for us in Europe. Our Photos of the Week are turning into stone.
The poet Friedrich Schiller is a national hero in Germany, which explains why the city of Berlin honored his life with a statue. When flyingscot4 paid a visit, he took a photo of the poet standing over a glum-looking retinue. We wish we knew exactly what they were thinking.
Photo by catsholiday
In the shadow of an arch in Glastonbury, the statue of a goddess holds up her weathered hands. When a sentimental passerby laid a rose at her feet, catsholiday took a ground-level photo that captured the serenity of the scene. We like to think she was imitating Gertrude Stein.
More Photos of Europe
Photos of London
Photos of Berlin
Photos of Paris
Posted by tdbeckwith (Thomas Beckwith)