So I saw this sculpture art somewhere online, and then I regret not seeing it in real on my many travels to Europe. This sculpture is by a Hungarian Sculptor Albert Gyorgy and it is placed in Lake Geneva in Geneva, Switzerland.
Melancholy, a sculpture created by Albert Gyorgy, portrays the void that grief leaves us with. The sculpture depicts a figure made of copper sitting on a bench slumped over, with a giant hole in the centre of it. This hole represents the massive void that we all feel when we lose someone dear to us, and many people have expressed their appreciation for this sculpture for it portraying the exact emotions they feel, but perhaps haven’t been able to quite put into words.
Albert Gyorgy felt intense sadness and isolation with the loss of his wife and went on to create this beautiful piece of artwork as a way to cope. A photo of this sculpture has been shared on Facebook over 200,000 times by various people who’ve suffered a loss in their life. Strangers have united to share their unfortunate experiences with loss, and have expressed words of sympathy to one another.
The statue does not need anyone to speak for it. The feeling that it invokes is as clear as day. The figure’s head is sunken down and its arms crossed in an attempt to comfort the void in its chest. Its feet are solemnly spread with its shoulders slumped. Nearly the entirety of the statue has bits that are torn away, showing the physical equivalent of the emotional turmoil. Every element in this sculpture screams sadness, grief, emptiness. The statue towers over your average height adult commanding the attention of all who gaze upon it. Not only can one look upon it’s craftsmanship but one can also sit next to it, sharing not only the bench but also sharing its feelings.
I really love the feelings and emotions this artwork captures. It is so remarkable, so profound and so minimalistic. It represents grief, emptiness and loneliness. It is so raw and seems so real.
As said by one of the critics, “For anyone who has ever felt the loneliness of a 100 rooms, or the weariness when you’ve lost the battle; for anyone who is so bereft that they feel like an empty shell or to those who found themselves dissolving over the loss of something so precious; György is speaking to you for he knows exactly how that feels.”
But I also take away another meaning from it. For me, it ALSO means that when you’re lonely, in agony and in misery, if you look within yourself, you can often find the light, the happiness. As in the sculpture, the man is looking within himself, in that void, we do see the green bright environment and wide-open skies, which is a pleasant calm sight.
That’s one of my takes from it, and also I completely agree with what most of the critics also say. It is just such a beautiful piece of art.
Sadness is what makes us human. We grieve, we cry, and we comfort our own emptiness. Albert Gyorgy expressed his sadness in this statue and created art with his pain.
Many people feel they can relate to this piece of artwork in various ways, through grief, but also through mental illness. The void in this art can represent a multitude of emotions that we all face. It is relatable as we have all likely felt lost and empty at some point in our lives, and it brings people together knowing they’re not facing these hardships alone.
As dark as this artwork may be, it serves as some sort of comfort to those who’ve experienced a loss, as they feel they identify with this sculpture. This famous sculpture can be found at Lake Geneva, Switzerland, and proves to be a popular tourist attraction. If you find yourself on a European vacation, consider paying a visit to this beautiful sculpture and grasping the deep meaning it portrays.
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