The Hand of God

The Hand of God is one of the last works of the Swedish sculptor Carl Milles, created to honor the Swedish entrepreneur C. E. Johansson, who revolutionized precision measuring of industrial parts.[1] The original casting stands in Johansson's hometown of Eskilstuna, Sweden.[2]

History

Carl Milles worked on The Hand of God from 1949 to 1953.[3] The sculptor said the idea of the statue came to him in a dream.[4] During his time in Paris, Carl Milles was influenced by the work of Auguste Renoir, who was also fascinated by hands.[5]

The sculpture was recast and donated by the UAW to the city of Detroit, Michigan, where it stands outside the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice (42°20′16″N 83°02′34″W / 42.33781°N 83.04274°W / 42.33781; -83.04274).[6]

In 1957, the Swedish government gave a reproduction of The Hand of God to the royal family of Indonesia, which is exhibited in the gardens of the Bogor Palace.[7] In June 2004, the city of Beijing bought a reproduction of The Hand of God and placed it in the city's International Sculpture Park.[8] A reproduction of The Hand of God is also given as part of the Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research.[9]

Description

The statue is of a small naked man - looking upwards, body tensed - standing on the index and thumb of a large hand. The statue stands on a tall, square column. Authentic reproductions are marked with a "Millesgården" tag.[4] The artist provided many different interpretations for this work.[10] One of those reproductions stands in the Hakone Open-Air Museum.[11]

The sketch of the hand was modeled after the artist's left hand.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "The Monuments of Detroit". Michigan History. The Detroit News. 1999-09-04. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  2. ↑ "Carl Milles - Biography". rogallery.com. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  3. ↑ The Hand of God ~ MillesGården, Stockholm, Tuttartpitturasculpturapoesiamusica.com, 15 March 2013
  4. 1 2 Hand of God, Millesgarden.se
  5. 1 2 The Hand of God, Gallerymiles.com
  6. ↑ "The Hand of God, Memorial to Frank Murphy, (sculpture)". siris-artinventories.si.edu. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  7. ↑ State Visit to Indesia 22–24 May 2017, Government.se, 16 May 2017
  8. ↑ Beijing boasts sculptures made by Carl Milles, People.cn, 18 June 2004
  9. ↑ "The Prize – Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research". Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  10. ↑ Kathy Schiffer, God in the City: Religious Imagery in the City of Detroit, Patheos.com, 16 July 2012
  11. ↑ Hakone Open Air Museum, Japanbyjapan.com, 8 December 2016

59°22′23″N 16°31′05″E / 59.37298°N 16.51792°E / 59.37298; 16.51792


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