Sculpture The Dying Lion of Lucerne marble / ivory

• This figure comes as from the time around 1850
• Lion Monument, designed by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen in 1820
• Material: ivory - marble
• Size approx 13.5 x 6.5 x 9 cm with base
• Weight of the sculpture without base approx 220g

History of sculpture :

The Lion Monument is located in Lucerne and recalls in the allegory of a dying lion to the 10 August 1792 at the Tuileries in Paris fallen Swiss Guards .

At that time served around 1100 as Swiss Guard of Louis XVI . During the French Revolution, the population stormed the already abandoned by the royal family Tuileries Palace . In defense of the empty castle found about 760 Swiss death.

The monument was created by the initiative of the officer Carl Pfyffer of Altishofen , who spent this time on vacation in Lucerne. He began in 1818 with the collection of money. The monument was finally cut to a design by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen by Constance Steinmetz Luke maple in the former sandstone quarry near Lucerne. On 10 August 1821 it was officially unveiled .

About the Lion is HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI (Latin: The loyalty and bravery of the Swiss ) , under it are the names of the fallen and rescued officers of the Swiss Guard , and the approximate number of the fallen ( DCCLX = 760 ) or surviving ( CCCL = 350) soldiers indicated .

Mark Twain described the monument as " saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world".