Christ the Redeemer (Portuguese:Cristo Redentor,standardBrazilian Portuguese:[ˈkɾistuʁedẽˈtoʁ]) is anArt Deco statue ofJesus inRio de Janeiro,Brazil, created by French-Polish sculptorPaul Landowski and built by Brazilian engineerHeitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with French engineerAlbert Caquot.Romanian sculptorGheorghe Leonida sculpted the face. Constructed between 1922 and 1931, the statue is 30 metres (98 ft) high, excluding its 8-metre (26 ft)pedestal. The arms stretch 28 metres (92 ft) wide.[1][2] It is made ofreinforced concrete andsoapstone.[3][4][5]Christ the Redeemer differs considerably from its original design, as the initial plan was a large Christ with a globe in one hand and a cross in the other. Although the project organizers originally accepted the design, it later changed to the statue of today, with the arms spread out wide.
A view ofCorcovado before the construction, between 1880 and 1900
Vincentian priest Pedro Maria Boss first suggested placing a Christian monument on Mount Corcovado in the mid-1850s to honorPrincess Isabel, regent of Brazil and the daughter ofEmperor Pedro II, but the project was not approved.[1] In 1889, the country became a republic, and owing to theseparation of church and state, the proposed statue was dismissed.[8]
The peak of Corcovado with the statue under construction, c. 1930−1931
The Catholic Circle of Rio made a second proposal for a landmark statue on the mountain in 1920.[9] The group organized an event calledSemana do Monumento ("Monument Week") to attract donations and collect signatures to support the building of the statue. The organization was motivated by what they perceived as "Godlessness" in the society. The donations came mostly fromBrazilian Catholics.[3] The designs considered for the "Statue of the Christ" included a representation of theChristian cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a pedestal symbolizing the world.[10] Eventually, the statue of Christ theRedeemer with open arms, a symbol of peace, was chosen.
In 1922, Landowski commissioned fellow ParisianRomanian sculptorGheorghe Leonida, who studied sculpture at the Fine Arts Conservatory in Bucharest and in Italy.[13]
Christ the Redeemer in 1931
A group of engineers and technicians studied Landowski's submissions, and they felt building the structure out ofreinforced concrete (designed byAlbert Caquot) instead of steel was more suitable for thecross-shaped statue. The concrete making up the base was supplied fromLimhamn, Sweden.[14][15] The outer layers aresoapstone, chosen for its enduring qualities and ease of use.[4] Construction took nine years, from 1922 to 1931, and cost the equivalent ofUS$250,000 (equivalent to $4,400,000 in 2024) and the monument opened on October 12, 1931.[4][5] During the opening ceremony, the statue was to be lit by a battery offloodlights turned on remotely by Italianshortwave radio inventorGuglielmo Marconi, stationed 9,200 kilometres (5,700 mi) away in Rome but because of bad weather, the lights were activated on site.[9]
Lightning struck the statue during a violent thunderstorm on February 10, 2008, causing some damage to the fingers, head and eyebrows. TheRio de Janeiro state government initiated a restoration effort to replace some of the outer soapstone layers and repair the lightning rods on the statue. Lightning damaged it again on January 17, 2014, dislodging a finger on the right hand.[16][17][18][19]
In 2010, a massive restoration of the statue began. Work included cleaning, replacing the mortar and soapstone on the exterior, restoring iron in the internal structure, and waterproofing the monument. Vandals attacked the statue during renovation, spraying paint along the arm. MayorEduardo Paes called the act "a crime against the nation". The culprits later apologized and presented themselves to the police.[20][21][22]
In reference to Brazilian strikerRonaldo's usualgoal celebration of both arms outstretched, thePirelli tyre company ran a 1998 commercial in which he replaced the statue while in anInter Milan strip.[23] The commercial was controversial with the Catholic Church.[24]
A panoramic view of the statue at the top of Corcovado Mountain withSugarloaf Mountain (centre) andGuanabara Bay in the backgroundChrist the Redeemer aerial view withTijuca ForestChrist the Redeemer atop Corcovado with Sugarloaf Mountain in background
More work on the statue and its environs was conducted in 2003 and early 2010. In 2003, a set ofescalators,walkways, andelevators were installed to facilitate access to the platform surrounding the statue. The four-month restoration in 2010[26] focused on the statue itself. The statue's internal structure was renovated and its soapstone mosaic covering was restored by removing a crust of fungi and other microorganisms and repairing small cracks. Thelightning rods located in the statue's head and arms were also repaired, and new lighting fixtures were installed at the foot of the statue.[27]
The restoration involved one hundred people and used more than 60,000 pieces of stone taken from the samequarry as the original statue.[26] During the unveiling of the restored statue, it was illuminated with green-and-yellow lighting in support of theBrazil national football team playing in the2010 FIFA World Cup.[26]
Maintenance work needs to be conducted periodically because of thestrong winds anderosion to which the statue is exposed, as well as lightning strikes.[28] The original pale stone is no longer available in sufficient quantity, and replacement stones are increasingly darker in hue.[29]
Cristo del Sagrado Corazón, Villas San Pedro, Carretera Libre Tijuana Ensenada Km 37.5,Playa de Rosarito, Baja California (75 foot, 40 ton, steel and fiberglass, colored)[45][46]
Ranquetat-Júnior, Cesar Alberto (2012).Laicidade à brasileira: um estudo sobre a controvérsia em torno da presença de símbolos religiosos em espaços públicos (Doutorado em Antropologia Social) (in Portuguese).UFRGS. 310 pp.hdl:10183/54437.
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