The Redeemer Jesus Christ is the most famous statue, and one of the largest sculptures depicting Christ. It is included in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World and is a unique work of sculpture and architecture both for Brazil and for the whole world.
Statue Description
Jesus Christ the Redeemer is a reinforced concrete sculpture covered with talcum chloride and depicting Christ in full growth with outstretched arms and bowed head in such a way that he also looks inclined, blessing the city, and accepting the crucifix. The face is depicted on the basis of Catholic perception - thin, with high cheekbones, long hair and a beard. The robe is made in the form of a tunic, in which Jesus is also depicted most often. This statue of Jesus Christ is located in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), on top of Mount Corcovado.
The height of the statue is thirty meters, excluding the eight-meter pedestal, the scope of huge hands reaches 28 meters, and the weight is about 635 tons.
History of creation
The plan to create the statue of Jesus Christ was timed to coincide with the local government on the centennial of the National Independence of Brazil in 1922. At that time, the capital of the state was the city of Rio de Janeiro, and therefore, the statue, without much thought, it was decided to install here. Since the government itself did not have funds for global construction, and most of the local residents living at the expense of tourism were very interested in creating a national monument that could attract attention, the Cruzeiro magazine raised funds for the construction of the statue.
The same magazine initiated a survey designed to choose the best place for the construction of Christ the Redeemer. The peak of Corcovado was chosen by a majority of votes, being the highest point of the nearby district. As a result, by common efforts, including contributions from ordinary citizens, church officials and members of the government, more than two and a half million miles were collected (the Brazilian monetary unit of that time) - an incomprehensible amount for Brazil of the twenties.
When the money was collected, construction began - in 1923, individual parts of the statue were made in France, and then, using the railway, delivered to Brazil. In this regard, Christ the Redeemer is the sibling of the American Statue of Liberty, also made in France and delivered to the construction site in a disassembled form. In general, it took nine years to create the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio - its grand opening, accompanied by consecration, took place on October 12, 1931.
Creators
The final form of the monument, including outstretched arms and the figurative shape of the cross, was approved in the very first sketch of the artist Carlos Oswald. However, his sketch assumed a pedestal in the form of a huge globe, but this idea had to be abandoned due to its high cost and instability. The necessary practical changes to the artistic concept were introduced by the Brazilian engineer and architect Eitor da Silva Costa, creating the final and approved project. More than fifty architects and sculptors worked on the creation of the figure of Christ - for example, his head was first modeled by the Frenchman Paul Landowski, and then, for six years, was created by the Romanian artist-sculptor George Leonid.
Tourist significance of the monument
Being one of the Seven Wonders of the World of the New Age, the most famous statue of Jesus, and one of the most famous statues of the world as a whole, the statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer annually attracts about two million tourists. The first electric railway in Brazil serves as a convenient way to climb to the foot of the sculpture, but you can also get to it by the motorway, following the Tijuca forest, which is not only Brazil’s national park, but also the largest forest in the world cities.
Interesting Facts
Since the head of the statue of Jesus Christ is the highest point of Rio de Janeiro, lightnings regularly fall into it - according to meteorologists, the average number is four strokes per year. Since lightning often leaves damage on the sculpture, the Brazilian Catholic diocese has a huge supply of talcum chloride, intended to repair damage without distorting the appearance of the statue. In 2013 and 2014, the fingertips of Christ were damaged by lightning, but the defect was eliminated in the near future.
In 2003, escalators appeared at the foot of the monument, greatly simplifying the ascent to the observation deck. And in 2010, the statue for the first and last time was subjected to an act of vandalism - it is not known how, but on the face and hands of Jesus appeared the inscription "Cat from home - mice to dance", made in black paint. They were immediately removed, and since then, regular protection has been on duty around the statue and video surveillance has been conducted.
The appearance of the statue in the movie
The statue of Jesus Christ has been shown many times in various films and cartoons - sometimes just by chance falling into the frame as a symbol of Rio de Janeiro, and sometimes even appearing in small plot ties. For example, in one of the novels of the film “Rio, I love you”, the protagonist speaks with a statue, in the popular science film “Life after people”, the destruction of civilization’s buildings at different time periods is shown on the example of sculpture, and in the film “1 + 1” the main characters fulfill their dream by flying over Christ the Redeemer on a paraglider.
