Lion of Lucerne (Lukas Ahorn)
The picture does not do this sculpture justice. It is colossal in size, measuring ten meters long by six meters high. It depicts a lion that is mortally wounded and is either already dead or close to it. The lion also has a spear in his side that is broken off, as if it has been there for quite sometime. The lion is curled up in his den awaiting the slow cold embrace of death, to fully conquer him. This piece is a monument to a large group of Swiss mercenaries, that served as the royal guard. They died defending the Palace of Versailles during the French revolution. It was overrun by a group of revolutionists and only 350 of the original 760 survived. A surviving officer came up with the idea of the monument and started taking up donations. It was eventually designed by the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and eventually hewn by Lukas Ahorn. Mark Twain even made sure to mention it in his some of his work concerning his travels. "The Lion of Lucerne would be impressive anywhere, but nowhere so impressive as where he is." This monument is worth more than a second glance. One can appreciate its shear size and the solemn significance.
The picture does not do this sculpture justice. It is colossal in size, measuring ten meters long by six meters high. It depicts a lion that is mortally wounded and is either already dead or close to it. The lion also has a spear in his side that is broken off, as if it has been there for quite sometime. The lion is curled up in his den awaiting the slow cold embrace of death, to fully conquer him. This piece is a monument to a large group of Swiss mercenaries, that served as the royal guard. They died defending the Palace of Versailles during the French revolution. It was overrun by a group of revolutionists and only 350 of the original 760 survived. A surviving officer came up with the idea of the monument and started taking up donations. It was eventually designed by the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and eventually hewn by Lukas Ahorn. Mark Twain even made sure to mention it in his some of his work concerning his travels. "The Lion of Lucerne would be impressive anywhere, but nowhere so impressive as where he is." This monument is worth more than a second glance. One can appreciate its shear size and the solemn significance.