The durability of statues

1.10 The durability of statues 

Many equestrian statues may have survived the ages, but often no more than just survived, if one takes a closer look at their condition.

The threats to the statues are numerous. I have mentioned the most important ones in Section 1.2: revolutions, wars, independency and changes of leadership. But there are more, and equally serious, threats. Air pollution, vandalism and pigeons, all in combination with the indifference of local authorities, are nowadays other major dangers. Equestrian statues can even be stolen, as happened to the Jeanne d’Arc statue in Lille in 1918. 

1.10.1 The material used for equestrian statues

It goes without saying that the material used to make a statue is of the utmost importance for its durability. About 95 per cent of the statues are made of bronze, 3 per cent of natural stone and the remaining 2 per cent of other materials such as iron, aluminium or lead.

It is no surprise that bronze is by far the most popular material used in the making of an equestrian statue. Bronze is an alloy traditionally composed of copper and tin, with the proportion of copper varying from 67 per cent to 95 per cent. Bronze is harder than copper alone or pure iron, and far more resistant to corrosion than the latter. Bronze is also more fusible, and hence easier to cast. The tensile strength of bronze has attracted sculptors for over 5,000 years, and the possibility of making multiple casts of the same sculpted model also has its appeal. 

Bronze is a multipurpose material, with its advantages and disadvantages. 

Many descriptions of equestrian statues proudly mention that the bronze used was derived from cannons captured during campaigns or after battles won by the rider. This trend had already started in Florence in the early seventeenth century, when the statue of Ferdinand I was made from the bronze of cannons captured from the Barbary and Ottoman galleys. 

Many would follow this example. Sometimes, however, it worked the other way around. Bronze is an expensive and rare raw material, so in times of war or revolution the decision was quickly taken to use the bronze from statues of hated (symbols of) enemies, even if they were already long dead, to produce cannons, bullets and the like. Even in World War II, the Germans were still doing this on a large scale. 

About 1 per cent of the equestrian statues are gilded, which gives them ‘grandeur’, making them more monumental. The statue of Marcus Aurelius must also have been gilded in its early days, like many other equestrian statues in ancient Rome. Traces of gilt are still to be seen on the statue. Some famous gilded statues are the Jeanne d’Arc by Frémiet in Paris and the Friedrich der Starke, the Goldener Reiter, by Jean Vinanche in Dresden. Before gilding a statue one should realize, however, that the finished item will need thorough ongoing maintenance, as one can see from the impressive statue of Sherman in New York City. Air pollution and pigeons take their toll.

Funereal equestrian sculptures in Italy (Bergamo, Venice and Verona) were mostly made of gilded wood. Stone equestrian sculptures in churches were often painted. The equestrian sculpture of Louis XII in the niche above the entrance of the Blois castle is an excellent example of a painted terracotta sculpture.

In the early days of making equestrian statues, the material used was lead in a number of cases. Lead was not necessarily cheaper than bronze, but it was easier to cast. However, as it is a relatively soft metal it is less durable and tends to sag, with ensuing consequences. 

As we have seen already, a defeated enemy had to be added to the statue under the horse of Christian V in Copenhagen, dating from 1688, to prevent it from collapsing. But in the long run it did not help and the statue was recast in bronze in 1946.

Another example is the Charles II equestrian statue in Edinburgh, Scotland, a lead statue dating from 1685 by the Dutch-born artist Grinling Gibbons. The statue sagged over the years. The internal armature (the original internal framework was made of oak and mild steel) became visible through the horse’s chest, and the weight of the whole figure pressed down on the front leg, causing the deformation of the horse itself. The statue distorted over time and slumped forwards and downwards. The last, recent major restoration included strengthening the statue’s internal supports with a new stainless-steel frame, cleaning the lead and replacing the missing parts. 

1.10.2 Threats to the statues

As many statues are situated in areas with heavy traffic, one may expect that in the future, many of them will experience the harmful consequences of corrosion. The famous statue of Marcus Aurelius was able to be saved just in time, through an expensive and lengthy restoration. It is now safely exhibited in a pavilion, which offers the required shelter for this unique monument. A replica has taken its place in Campidoglio Square in Rome. 

Vandalism is another threat, varying from bomb attacks for political reasons, to graffiti. 

I have seen many statues with graffiti. In some cases, the statues are covered with this unwanted ‘art’.

The beautiful statue of the Duke of Wellington by Marochetti in Glasgow is frequently capped with a traffic cone, testifying to the ‘humour’ of the local population. It is sad to note that the local authorities do not discourage this vandalism. On the contrary, the coned statue is promoted as an icon and a tourist attraction. 

Another example is the Sheridan equestrian in Chicago. Out-of-town baseball teams, playing at nearby Wrigley field, have been painting the private parts of the Civil War hero’s horse for years. Painting the horse’s testicles has been done in other places. I have seen this in Toronto (Edward VII), Dortmund (Wilhelm I), Pavia (Regisole) and Worcester, Massachusetts (Devens). Red seems to be the favourite colour used. 

A popular target for vandalism is the sabre. The sabre that Chapayev holds aloft in Saint Petersburg has been broken off so many times by vandals that it has been replaced with a removable version, which is only fitted on special occasions.

Pigeons are one of the most serious threats to bronze statues. They like equestrian statues to roost on and leave their droppings. Sometimes they even use the statue as a nesting place. In some countries such as Italy and India, it is barely possible to take pictures of a statue without pigeons.

In New York, I saw an example of how damage by pigeons can be prevented: sharp spikes on the statue of Roosevelt by Fraser make it uncomfortable, if not impossible, for pigeons to roost on the statue. However, the spikes are visible and from an aesthetic point of view, unsightly.

It may be that the solution to the pigeon problem is to be found in Spain. The statue of Charles III in Madrid already had to be restored six years after its erection in 1994 because of the many pigeons. Use was made of this restoration to place inside the statue a device, which emits a sound that keeps the pigeons away. To date, this has had a positive effect.

Unfortunately I can give many examples of neglected statues: The Jeanne d’Arc by Dubois in Washington, a gift from the French women to the American women, is rusty and is missing her sword. Bullet holes from 1945 can still be seen in the statue of Wilhelm I in Nuremberg, and the same is true for the statue of Wilhelm II in Cologne. The William III statue in Glasgow, dating from 1735, looks close to a breakdown. George III in Liverpool (1822) is rusty, as is William III in Petersfield (1757), and the original Jeanne d’Arc statue by Moreau in Montebourg is extremely poorly maintained. A dreary that that can be made much longer.

All the above-mentioned statues have visible damage. Experience of restorations shows that once one starts, for instance by polishing off rust spots, it often turns out that the condition of the statue is such that an expensive restoration process has to be started in order to save it. 

1.10.3 Successful restorations

Fortunately, there are also numerous examples of successful restorations. 

To mention a few: 

  • In the UK, the statues of William III in Kingston upon Hull, Gough in Chilligham and Edward VII in Liverpool.
  • In Italy, of course, the successful and thorough restoration of the historic Marcus Aurelius statue in Rome, but also the Filiberto di Savoia in Turin and the Garibaldi in La Spezia.
  • The statues of Friedrich Wilhelm and Carl Wilhelm in Braunschweig, Ludwig I in Regensburg and Ludwig I König von Bayern in Munich have been pleasantly restored and are now jewels that these German cities can be proud of.
  • Two examples of restorations carried out well in France are the Henri IV in Paris and the San Martin in Boulogne sur Mer. 
  • Examples of successful restorations in the US, are the Washington statue and the Roosevelt statue, both in New York City.

Restoration can be extremely expensive. As mentioned before, the Sherman statue by Rohl-Smith in Washington DC originally cost US $90,000 (around $2.3 million in today’s money). The cost of its restoration amounted to some $2 million.