# Why are bronze statues of celebrities so horrible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2023, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416 "2023-08-11T18:09:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/81 "2025-05-07T23:32:20Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > From what I understand, it was given to him by a Bedouin chieftain and was notoriously slow for an Arabian. Well, give it to the right rider, I’ve seen allegedly lazy horses go exceptional speed. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/82 "2025-05-08T02:10:49Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > The “Bronze Fonz” we have here in Milwaukee looks like something in Terminator 2. Wow, you aren’t kidding! > **[Bronze Fonz](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Fonz#/media/File%3ASawyerBronzeFonz2008.jpg)** > > The Bronze Fonz is a public artwork by American artist Gerald P. Sawyer, located on the Milwaukee Riverwalk in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Bronze Fonz depicts Henry Winkler as "The Fonz," a character in the 1970s television series Happy Days, which was set in Milwaukee. > The sculpture, made of bronze, depicts actor Henry Winkler as he appeared in his role as Arthur Fonzarelli (also known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz"). Fonzarelli was an iconic character in the 1970s television show Happy Da... [![](https://ew.com/thmb/T4Dntt_PC8k9Z1Bf8C6TC3PKfhE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/cpbvyzkwyaaviqw-large-141c32843dd54e2d941ce9b90557270d.jpg) ](https://ew.com/thmb/T4Dntt_PC8k9Z1Bf8C6TC3PKfhE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/cpbvyzkwyaaviqw-large-141c32843dd54e2d941ce9b90557270d.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/83 "2025-05-08T08:16:09Z")
Reverse cowboy? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/84 "2025-05-08T08:34:15Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > And that’s for a good reason: humans are very, very good at reading other humans’ facial expressions. Every single line and detail counts, and we’re very good at noticing something wrong - which means that sculpting facial emotions is very, very hard. If you want your sculpture to express emotion, you better be as good as Michaelangelo or Bernini, otherwise, you’ll end up sculpting is a weirdo making a funny face. I also suspect it’s because the expression of a statue is static. Real facial expressions, especially strong ones are normally constantly changing. If a _real_ person was to look at you with a large, unchanging smile that would look weird and fake too. Heck, taking pictures of people you don’t like and picking the right momentary image that makes them stupid looking is an old political propaganda technique. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/85 "2025-05-08T13:40:46Z")
Y’all might be on to something with the neutral facial expressions; this new statue in Times Square that’s generating a lot of discussion has a neutral expression, and looks pretty realistic. [![](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/66164ec19113caaa1f66178a/67d081cbed3e3a68bf3e3853_arts-thomas-j-price-grounded-in-the-stars-photo-Kunstgiesserei-St-Gallen.jpg) ](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/66164ec19113caaa1f66178a/67d081cbed3e3a68bf3e3853_arts-thomas-j-price-grounded-in-the-stars-photo-Kunstgiesserei-St-Gallen.jpg) [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwu-Y76vbSf0-xO5fh0Y59dNSNYN72lF0rEw&s) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwu-Y76vbSf0-xO5fh0Y59dNSNYN72lF0rEw&s) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/86 "2025-05-08T13:56:55Z")
Nice statue. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/87 "2025-05-08T14:04:09Z")
“. . . generating a lot of discussion. . .” Oh, yeah, and some of it is comedy gold! ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/88 "2025-05-08T14:06:39Z")
For comparison to sculptures of the past, be careful you’re not selecting only the very best. There were plenty of mediocre sculptures in the past as well. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/89 "2025-05-08T14:07:31Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Y’all might be on to something with the neutral facial expressions; this new statue in Times Square that’s generating a lot of discussion has a neutral expression, and looks pretty realistic. Who is it depicting? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/90 "2025-05-08T14:12:33Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Nice statue. I’m not its biggest fan, but it’s very well executed and quite realistic. And I was thinking the neutral (slightly annoyed?) expression may have to do with that. > [@Pleonast](#): > > For comparison to sculptures of the past, be careful you’re not selecting only the very best. There were plenty of mediocre sculptures in the past as well. Unfortunately both the vast majority of shitty sculptures and many rather nice one were destroyed. For bronzes, they were often melted down to make cannons. (Marble statues were smashed to make lime). > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Who is it depicting?. No one specific. The work is called “Grounded in the Stars” and they describe it like this: _A fictionalized character constructed from images, observations, and open calls spanning between Los Angeles and London, the young woman depicted in Grounded in the Stars carries familiar qualities, from her stance and countenance to her everyday clothing. In her depiction, one recognizes a shared humanity, yet the contrapposto pose of her body and the ease of her stance is a subtle nod to Michelangelo’s David. Through scale, materiality, and posture, Grounded in the Stars disrupts traditional ideas around what defines a triumphant figure and challenges who should be rendered immortal through monumentalization._ ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/91 "2025-05-08T14:18:17Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > A fictionalized character constructed from images, observations, and open calls spanning between Los Angeles and London, the young woman depicted in Grounded in the Stars carries familiar qualities, from her stance and countenance to her everyday clothing. In her depiction, one recognizes a shared humanity, yet the contrapposto pose of her body and the ease of her stance is a subtle nod to Michelangelo’s David. Through scale, materiality, and posture, Grounded in the Stars disrupts traditional ideas around what defines a triumphant figure and challenges who should be rendered immortal through monumentalization. That’s a nice idea well executed, a statue of a “normal”, everyday person. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/92 "2025-05-08T14:27:28Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > That’s a nice idea well executed, a statue of a “normal”, everyday person. Depiction of “ordinary” people has a long history in art. Edward Hopper, for instance, made a career out of it. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/93 "2025-05-08T14:29:06Z")
Yes, I know if from paintings, but can’t remember to have seen such art in a public, monumental sculpture. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/94 "2025-05-08T14:44:36Z")
I think they’re all horrible. They remind me of the ending scene in, “The Empire Strikes Back”, when Han Solo ended up in that awful block of carbonite. [**Han Solo in Carbonite**](https://www.zbrushcentral.com/uploads/default/original/4X/6/f/e/6fefe25ad7dbc2eaba660eb2eb8b821ed3b15f65.png) ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/95 "2025-05-08T14:51:39Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Yes, I know if from paintings, but can’t remember to have seen such art in a public, monumental sculpture There are plenty of public monuments, statue or otherwise, that are dedicated to some generic member of a particular group - sometimes they actually depict a member or group of members of that group, other times it’s more abstract. Fallen soldiers (genetically or fallen at a particular battle or for a given cause); workers (in general, or who worked on a particular project); groups of people who used to live in a place, or who founded a town; etc… ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/96 "2025-05-08T14:52:07Z")
Any idea what the going price is on commissioning an artist to make one of these? I’ve hear a range from $10K to $100K. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/97 "2025-05-08T14:55:52Z")
Even real people look strange when covered in a metallic sheen. Somehow marble is alright for skin tone, like an apparition. Egyptian sand stone also seems fine. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/98 "2025-05-08T14:57:16Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Somehow marble is alright for skin tone, like an apparition. Egyptian sand stone also seems fine. We’re just used to it. The ancient Romans and Egyptians weren’t satisfied with marble and sandstone; their statues were brightly painted. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/99 "2025-05-08T15:03:01Z")
I think bronze statues look horrible because the subjects don’t hold still when they’re being dipped. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416/100 "2025-05-08T15:12:09Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > We’re just used to it. The ancient Romans and Egyptians weren’t satisfied with marble and sandstone; their statues were brightly painted. Which is why Roman statues all have a blank look in their eyes. The details of iris and pupil were painted in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-bronze-statues-of-celebrities-so-horrible/988416.md?page=6)