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Leda – Markus Lüpertz
Markus Lüpertz created the 3.6 meter high bronze sculpture of a rather robust female figure with a goose for the bank of the Rhine at Monheim. The upright figure with her head on one side is being nuzzled by a goose on her left. The bird is pointing its beak at the face of the female figure, and it is unclear whether it is giving her a kiss or whispering something into her ear. On a 7.5 meter high pedestal, this statue is a newly created landmark that now shapes the view of Monheim as seen from the Rhine.
When designing the work, the artist was inspired by two different motifs: firstly, the Gänseliesel (Goose Girl) that figures on the coat of arms of Monheim and is part of the city logo, and, secondly, the mythological figure of Leda, who was seduced by the Zeus, the father of all Greek gods, when he took the form of a swan. According to the mythological tale, he sired with her the beautiful Helen and her sister Clytemnestra, who both hatched from an egg.
This work of art was inaugurated in September 2019.
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About the artist
Professor Markus Lüpertz has been a significant protagonist of the rekindling of figurative art in Germany since the 1960s, and was the rector of the Kunstakademie (art academy) in Düsseldorf for a long time. The partly monumental sculptures of the painter, sculptor and poet can be found on numerous squares and in buildings in Germany.
His style is characterized by a powerful visual language and a tendency towards the monumental. In his art, he touches on taboos and opposes a clear and comprehensible ideal of beauty. His exploration of ancient myths and his preoccupation with European cultural history is reflected in many of his works. At the same time, his works often surprise the viewer with their provocative radicalism, which, not infrequently, trigger public controversy.