Exploring the Christ the Redeemer Statue - Case Study Example

Exploring a Work of Art Lecturer Initial Exploration and Analysis The work of art to be reviewed here is the Christ the Redeemer stature in Brazil. The statue, standing atop the Corcovado Mountain, was built in a five years period between 1926 to 1931. Most of the financial contributions towards the construction of the statue came from the Christian communities especially the Catholics who wanted to have a monument in remembrance to the Christian roots. A local engineer Heitor da Siva Costa won the contract to construct the statue after which he involved several other people including Paul Landowski who have gained a lot of acclaim from the designs of the work. Christ the Redeemer evokes various feelings. It a huge statute, several times the size of a normal man. It can thus be seen from various points within the city of Rio de Janeiro. The statute itself is a representation of a central figure within Christianity, which is Jesus Christ. It sizes alone evokes emotions of being subdued by the higher being. The outstretched hands are a sign of acceptance and peace that the redeemer promises trouble hearts. The imposing figure, in a metaphoric sense, clothes the visitors to the site and those who see it with the love that the really need. The feel accepted and wanted. The statue also serves to satisfy some of the emotional needs of individuals who love art. It is a masterpiece that epitomizes the peak of human ingenuity. The proportions of various parts are on point. Even the face of the statue bears a startling resemblance that of Jesus Christ, which gives one a sense of satisfaction that he is watching the real thing, what he has come across in other texts, paintings and sculptures. The monument is full of grandeur. The robe on the statue is gently flowing on the body, capturing the serene environment around it. It also appears to purposely make to capture the calmness and confidence which bodes well with the forest environment around which it is based. Besides, the head of the statue appears to be gazing downwards, towards the various settlements, both poor and rich that adorns the landscape below. Arms stretched wide in a manner that can be said to represent the cross. It arouses emotions of the beliefs surrounding the Christian faith. The peace, the hope and love of Christ which forms the foundations of the Christian faith. Any believer, desirous to live in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ will definitely be aware of the three pillars he gave his followers and which is well captured in the bible. It appears that these were the intensions at the back of the mind of those who designed and constructed the said sculpture. The colour of the robes and the sculpture itself is white. In Christianity, white signifies purity or without blemish. Considering that the sculpture had an aim at encapsulating some of the key themes of Christianity, it is important that the colour white was used to capture that fact that Christian believes that a Christ had no sins. This colour is thus consistent with this belief and the emotions closeness to Jesus draws them to. But again, the colour is not bright but cool. I believe this was purposely done to bring that humbling experience to those who come in contact with statue. It therefore causes such visitors to reflect on their lives and perhaps life after death and relationship with God. Research Work Christ the redeemer statue in Brazil was built from 1926 to 1931. The idea of building the statue to honour the Christian faith was first mooted around 1850 by Vincentian priest Pedro Maria Boss. However, facing opposition from various quarters, especially the political class, it was not until 1921 that another suggestion to build the monument was brought forward by the Catholic archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro. The proposal to build the monument of mount Corcovado was approved in 1922. Available literature on Christ the Redeemer point out to the fact that it is an art décor that belongs to the Renaissance period. Nagel (2011) is of the opinion that this sculpture belongs to the renaissance because first it pays keen attention to the details of the human body, bringing them out in proportion to each other other. This kind of attention to detail is what Huse (1993) advances when he notes that this is an art décor. But again, Jensen (2013) is of the opinion that renaissance artist, a part from bringing out the human body in sharp shape, it mainly tended to lean towards making of human forms such as painting and sculpting. This can be contrasted with the contemporary art which aims at achieving bringing to life abstract forms. On the other hand Christ the Redeemer statue is a Renaissance art was dominated by men as opposed to women (Jensen, 2013). This explains why all those who worked on the statue were men and not a single woman participated in the actual work. For instance, Heitor da Siva Costa designed the statute and brought on board Paul Landowski to do the sculpting. Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida was charged with the task of coming up with the face. It also has to be noted that the stature was made before the World War II, while contemporary art came into life after the war, with a few women joining the fray. Thus, in conclusion, we can say that the sculpture was a contemporary art. Below are some of the images of Christ the Redeemer. Art Christ the redeemer falls within the description of art due to a number of factors. The first reasons why Christ the Redeemer statue should be considered an art is because of its aesthetic value. It evokes the feelings of beauty with its grandeur. You get the sense that it is imposing and gentle on the landscape. The colour of the statue is light, which makes it possible to reflect light coming from the sun, moon and the spotlights from the surrounding. This is partially because of the construction materials which bear bright in coluor. The aesthetic value of Christ the Redeemers makes it popular and gives visitors to the site the sentimental value. Indeed, it is one of the most popular suite in Brazil and has been visited by tourists both from the within the country and even outside the country. Another thing to take out from this statue is that it oozes with originality. You get a sense of passion and freshness and the experience of being looking at it is both extraordinary and unforgettable. This is a work you are likely to visit over and over again and you do not get bored, because each time it seems to be new; giving you that important feeling. We can also look at is the engineering prowess exhibited by the art. Having such a large statue standing on a peak of a mountain is first mouth watering. But again, we should not be forget that the sculptors had to strike a balance in proportion such that the huge hands should not fall off, or the head could not snap away. This goes a long to prove human ingenuity in this piece of art. We should remember that the work has withstood elements for over eighty years. Only recently, it had to be repaired for some damages and it is conceivable that we will have to see the art for quite a while. I believe this work of art is better aligned to making the society conscious of their own weaknesses and therefore rallying them together to face challenges afflicting them as a nation. It reminds them of a higher being whom they can turn to in the event of problems. It therefore has a strong sentimental value to the people living around it and those visiting the site. It is perhaps for this reason that the stature that is several times the size of a normal man and can be visible from several kilometers from the city centre of the capital. Interpretational perspectives The statue of Christ the Redeemer can serve several purposes which we can be broken down into several perspectives. These are discussed as under: Social-Cultural Perspectives The statue of Christ the Redeemer is a representation of various aspect of the Brazilian culture. For once, it is in my ways a national treasure and was indeed declared a wonder of the world a few years ago. For quite some time, it has become a rallying point for the Brazilian nation. Everyone in Brazil at least have an idea of this statue, and indeed, most of the tourist who visit the site are local tourists. The statue has become a symbol of the Brazilian identity and has appeared in many places such as movies, advertisements, buildings and so on. A picture or image of Christ the Redeemer at least has been viewed and is highly regarded by the nation. Apart from being one of the rallying point for the Brazilian society, being one of the several factors that brings the nation together, the statue also plays the role of representing one of the dominant religion in the nation; Christianity. Even though Christianity is not among the indigenous religion, its uptake has been steady and Christians are among the majority in the country. Therefore, whoever comes across the statue and is able to recognize it as an image of Jesus, will definitely know that the country is in a way intimately connected to Christianity. It must not be forgotten that the core of Christianity is that it is a religion of the poor, giving the refuge and making them feel accepted. The stature, itself imposing over the nearby land, is a symbol of hope for the nation. Looking at the Brazilian society, the level of poverty cannot be taken for granted. Many are so poor and it is indeed images like this, looking down upon them every day of their lives, is a strong reminder that they are also valuable people. Symbolic Christ the Redeemer system can be taken as a symbolism of several things depending in which perspective you take. The open arms, flung to its side can be taken to mean peace and acceptance that Christians can enjoy in Christ. It shows that all are accepted. In a country with deep divisions in terms of race and wealth, with the majority feeling alienated, that this symbol that they need most. A feeling that they can find acceptance and that they are embraced. The statue, imposing itself in the city, and a symbol of the city, represents hope for the downtrodden. It gives them hope for the future, a reason to keep hoping for a better future. The arms of the statue are flung open can also be taken to symbolize the crucification of Jesus and the salvation associated with it. Christians take believe that the crucification of Jesus represents redemption of all. Those in Jesus, all are equal. All are accepted and redeemed. The statue thus represents all this good things, especially for the thousands living in favelas in Rio, just under the foot of the statue, the statue itself staring down upon them. Christ the redeemer has thus becomes an important part of the Brazilian psyche, helping to bond the communities and assure them in the face of immense socio-political and economic challenges. Environmental Perspective Christ the Redeemer also plays a key role in conservation for environment. First, the statue on Corcovado Mountain is found in the Tijuca Forest National Reserve. It is thus surrounded by plush green surrounding, enabling visitors to enjoy the beautiful forest scenery. This is important in enhancing the need to conserve our environment because it gives the visitors the opportunity to enjoy the incredible gift of nature, given by the environment. Though the forest is a protected area, and we cannot then claim that the fact that it is still intact is a show of the statue influence on would be loggers, the mere fact that to reach it, people have to find their way through a forest, can be said to be a boost to influence their perspectives on conservation efforts. Even though the key reason why this location was chosen was so that the statue could be seen from almost all points of Rio Janeiro city, hat the location settled on was a forest is important in an environmental sense. Therefore, the choice of this location, instead of say other raised grounds within the city or elsewhere, was spot on especially looking at it from the perspective of environmental conservation. Religion The sign of Christ the Redeemer is an impression of the religious background of the people around that place. Looking at the history of the statue, the contributions and even the idea was purely from the religious faithful. That the image chosen was that of the Christ and not any other symbols in Christianity was important in the religious sense. First, Jesus is one of the key pillars of Christianity. Therefore, to have his symbols in that area, at at time when the relationship between the church and state had been separated and therefore the secularists had a say, and even managed to rebuff the first attempt to build a statue there when the idea was first presented in 1850, is seen as a sign of how the people had come to accept Christianity, itself not an indigenous religion in Brazil. Christ the Redeemer stature, by this matter, is a representation of the place of religion in the lives of Brazilians. Most of them are a deeply religious population with a variety of religion, though mostly Christians. This is why the statue plays a key role in bringing the population together as they all identify with their religion and recognizes therefore, the important role of Jesus within that region. The arms which are flung open epitomize the peace and tranquility that followers of Jesus, themselves facing myriad challenges, can find in times of trouble. Thus, the statue is a powerful symbol of the life of Christians in this beautiful country. It is a celebration of the role Christianity plays, and how it shapes the lives of the people. It can also be said to be a representation of the hope the people can find, even though they may be in the middle of great difficulty. Indeed, there exist anecdotal evidence to suggest that whenever Brazilian are in great trouble, they have always turned to the statue of Christ the Redeemer for answers. After all, they cannot forget the roots of the faith, powerful and full of promise. Conclusion Christ the Redeemer is an interesting piece of art. Even though there is little literature to the fact that it is a Renaissance art, considering the fact that it has been around for over eight decades and visited by several world figures such as President Barrack Obama of the United States and former pope John Paul II, I still think it is more of a renaissance art, rather than a contemporary art. The work itself qualifies as an important piece of art, not only for the past but also in the future. One only needs to look at the place the sculpture has in the hearts and minds of ordinary Brazilians. It is one of the national landmarks that bears important significance to this nation and has been used on several occasions to rally the nation and is a place of pride. The Christ is the Redeemer statue is one of the tallest statutes of Jesus Christ. One important aspect about this sculpture is that it was build of soapstone, not only because it was malleable, but because it such a stone is resistant to the elements of weather. Having said that however, there are considerable effects of weather elements on the building, leading to a lot of defects on the body of the sculpture itself. Another surprising issues encountered in this work was the fact that the sculpture itself has been hit several times by lightning, and parts of it damaged. Continuous repairs works is thus important to preserve it in its form and shape. References Huse, N. (1993). The Art of Rennaisance Venice: Architecture, Sculpture and Painting. Washington: University of Chicago. Jensen, R. M. (2013). Understanding Early Christian Art. New York: Routledge. Nagel, A. (2011). The Controversy of Rennaissance Art. Chicago: University of Chicago. Read More