the destructed city

'The Destructed City' by Ossip Zadkine, from 1951, situated in the heart of Rotterdam.
The outcry created by the Russian artist Zadkine is so full of emotion and pain. Maybe it's the crude forms. Maybe it's the missing heart. Maybe it's the arms and head rising to the heavens. Maybe it's all of it.

History lesson:
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When, shortly after the war, 5 years later, the Russian sculptor Ossip Zadkine entered Rotterdam on a train, he saw the sight of the city that still lay there as 5 years before. The war had not allowed for any rebuilding. Almost the only thing still standing upright was the bridge for the train, over the river. Everything around it was flat and filled with debris. Seeing this sight from his high point of view he got very impressed, and inspired.

The managing directors of the departmentstore 'Bijenkorf' decided to ask Zadkine to make the fullsize sculpture for them so they could offer it to the city. It was to be placed on a certain spot on the street called 'Leuvehaven'. The city council warmly accepted and welcomed the gift. It was entirely paid for by the departmentstore, except for the base, which didn't have to cost much. The Dutch tax office cooperated, and no tax had to be paid over the import of the statue, which was to be made in France (where Zadkine lived at that point in time).

On May 15th, 1953, the statue got placed at the Leuvehaven, and officially handed over to the mayor of Rotterdam. One of the conditions being that it was never ever to be removed from that spot again.

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p.s. wish my phone came with a polarizer :P