THE STOOPING STATUE
There is an
interesting story behind the statue of resurrected Christ (Christus, Kristus) standing
today behind the altar in the ‘Church of Our Lady’ Cathedral in Copenhagen,
Denmark.
The statue was made
in clay by Karl Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844), a Danish sculptor of
international repute. The original statue had its majestic head held high,
victoriously, gazing upward towards heaven. The hands were also held high and
outstretched as if to bless the whole humanity.
He finished the work and went home leaving the
clay to dry and harden.
But during the night, a dense mist spread
from the sea. A heavy rainstorm dampened the whole area. The dampness entered
his studio and altered the appearance of the statue. The head that was held
high, bent forwards and faced downwards. The arms raised high in a commanding
gesture, now fell low and stretched forward in an inviting gesture. At first,
the sculptor felt depressed as his masterpiece appeared to be damaged and
ruined beyond repair. Further observation and meditation enlightened him. He
learned that the altered figure depicted the true image of our loving Lord. It now
displayed the ‘Compassionate Saviour’. The sympathetic arms were outstretched
as if to embrace the sad and needy humanity. On the pedestal in the cathedral
the words, “Come unto me” were inscribed later, based on the verse “Come to me,
all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest” {Matthew
11:28}.
If one wants to see the face
of Christ in the statue clearly, he must get down on his knees and look upwards.
This statue has been described as the most perfect statue of Christ in the
world. It is 10.5 feet (3.2 metres) high. When
Thorvaldsen unveiled this statue in the Copenhagen Cathedral 1828, it is recorded that "crowds of astonished onlookers marvelled at
the grandeur and sublimity of the work." Replicas of this masterpiece have been erected in several places throughout the world..
……………………………………………………….........................
© By: Prof. Dr. Babu Philip, Darsana
Academy, Kottayam-686001, Kerala, India ( Former Professor, Cochin University
of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala,
India), Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St.
Dominic's College, Kanjirappally, Leo. S. John, St.
Antony's Public School, Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally,
Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.
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