Description
Bronze statue of Alexander II wearing a guards uniform, speaking at the Porvoo Diet in 1863.
The granite pedestal is surrounded by four statues:
- Lex - Law; The maiden of Finland wearing a bearskin, with a sword and shield with the word 'LEX', accompanied by a lion (the same maiden can be seen in the pedestal of Runeberg's memorial to Finland's national poet J. L. Runeberg)
- Lux - Light (Science and Art): Woman, accompanied by an angel with a lyra, a terrestrial globe and a painter's palet.
- Pax - Peace: Woman with fruit and corn, and a cornstalk in her raised right hand; at her feet two pigeons.
- Labor - Work: Man with hammer and woman with sicle.
(click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)
Under these allegorical figures are in bronze the coats of arms of the Finnish nine provinces plus one of ?:
- under Lex: Uusimaa and Häme (Tavastia)
- under Lux: .?., Savo (Savonia) and Karjala (Karelia)
- under Pax: Lappi (Laponia) and Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia)
- under Labor: Satakunta, Varsinais-Suomi (Finland-Proper) and Ahvenanmaa (Åland)
(click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)
Inscription(s)
On the granite pedestal is the year 1863.
Signature
(statue) WRuneberg / Paris 1891
(Lex) WRuneberg / Paris Oct 1892
(Lux) WRuneberg / Paris 1892
(Pax) unsigned
(Labor) WRuneberg / Kjöbenhavn 23 juni. / 1894
(statue and all four allegories)
thiébaut frères Fondeurs / Paris
Annotation
After Alexander II's assassination in 1881, the Finnish government organized in 1884 a competition for a memorial. The competition was won by Johannes Takanen by a narrow margin with Walter Runeberg taking second place. Since the jury considered both entries extremely good, the work was given to both artists - as a joint commission.
However, Johannes Takanen died in 1885 leaving the work to Walter Runeberg. The competition jury had given especial praise to Takanen's treatment of Alexander's figure. On the other hand, the jury had from the very beginning been fascinated by the images Walter Runeberg had included in the pedestal in his entry.
Runeberg made the monarch's figure according to Takanen's proposal, although he had the monarch dressed in a guards uniform, while Takanen had him in civilian clothes without the symbols of power, and added his own symbolic figures to the pedestal.
The memorial was unveiled on 29 April 1894.
Sculptors
- Walter Runeberg (Porvoo 1838 - Helsinki 1920),
Finnish sculptor
(Wikipedia).
- Johannes Takanen (Virolahti 1849 - Rome 1885),
Finnish sculptor
(Wikipedia).
Sources & Information
Tags
Locatie (N 60°10'10" - E 24°57'8") (Satellite view: Google Maps)
Item Code: fi072; Photograph: 29 June 2013
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt
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