Bronze and Stone Animals in Rotterdam
The animal kingdom has always been a source of inspiration for art. Anyone who looks around in a city like Rotterdam will see countless animals immortalized in statues, reliefs, and murals. World Animal Day, October 4th, is a good time to take a little tour of these beastly artworks. A photo blog with the theme: Rotterdam’s animals made of bronze and stone. And paint and other materials, but that would make the titlea bit long.
Delft Lion
Perhaps lions are the most frequently portrayed animals in art, so you can regularly encounter them in Rotterdam. And that’s remarkable when you consider that lions have never been native to our region. I can’t cover all the city’s lions here, but this one at the Nieuwe Delftse Poort (New Delft Gate) represents them all.
The plaque in the upper right indicates that the animal could be found on the Delftse Poort until the bombing on May 14, 1940. In reality, the gate had already been dismantled at that time to make way for traffic. The plan was to rebuild it a bit further along, but the war caused that plan to falter. It wasn’t until decades later that the Delftse Poort was reconstructed in steel by Cor Kraat, with a place for some preserved artworks, including this lion. It seems like a finishing layer was applied to the stone, part of which has disappeared, but I don’t know the exact details.
The Fishes of the Wijnhaven
Speaking of lions, the Regentessebrug over the Wijnhaven is often called the Four Lions Bridge. Not entirely surprising given the four bronze lions perched on it. But there was already a Four Lions Bridge in Rotterdam, namely over the Oude Haven. That bridge has disappeared; three of its lions can still be admired along the Maasboulevard. But I digress: you could also call the Regentessebrug the Eight Fish Bridge because on its piers are sculptures of fish, which I find just as beautiful. Especially since they’re a bit more exposed to the elements than the lions: sometimes they partially disappear under water, as can be seen from the mud and seaweed that have settled around the fish.
Railway Animals
The Hofplein railway line was inaugurated in 1907, connecting Rotterdam with The Hague and Scheveningen. On the railway viaduct, nowadays better known as the Hofbogen, several stone reliefs have been installed. They depict animals that passengers could spot during their train journey through the polders and dunes. Here, we see two of those reliefs, with a duck and two squirrels.
The Agniesebuurt Frog
Those reliefs on the Hofbogen inspired street artist Nina Valkhoff. Recently, she made a large mural on a gable wall on Scheveningsestraat in Agniesebuurt. It features a frog, a duck, a fish, and some water plants. The painting is incredibly colorful, with beautiful gradients of green, blue, and yellow. It’s already one of my favorite murals in Rotterdam, and it will be even better viewed when that rooftop park on the Hofplein railway is finally completed.
Rommeldam
Marten Toonder’s stories are full of animals. On the monument dedicated to this Rotterdam cartoonist, located next to the Markthal, we find three of them. On the left, we see Querulijn Xaverius, Marquis de Canteclaer van Barneveldt. In the middle, Mayor Dirk Dickerdack. On the right, Professor Joachim Sickbock. They are depicted as, respectively, a rooster, a hippopotamus, and a goat, representing nobility, government, and science. At the top of the column, we also find, relatively small and unobtrusive, Tom Poes.
The fourth character on the lower level of the monument is painter Terpen Tijn. Unlike most Rommeldammers, he is not an animal but a human. But then again, we humans are technically just mammals too.
By the way: the youth don’t care about Toonder’s stories anymore. When I visit this monument during guided tours, people under forty usually look at me blankly.
Mr. Owl
Science is not always symbolized by a goat. Usually not, actually. The owl is more commonly used as a symbol for that field. For example, in the tile panel I came across at the entrance of a doorway on the Statenweg in Blijdorp. The owl is surrounded by books, a globe, writing tools, and other objects associated with science.
Above the other porches in the block we encounter other aspects of society. And animals play a role there too. The tableaus were made in the thirties by the Rotterdam artist Adriaan van der Plas. Among other things, he also made a series of facade stones on the Nieuwe Binnenweg, dedicated to the signs of the zodiac. Also mostly animals, as we know.
Kunsthal Rabbits
In the grassy area between the Kunsthal and the Natural History Museum, there have been three rabbits, made by sculptor Tom Claassen, since 2003. The artwork, simply called Rabbits, was a gift from the Kunsthal to the city of Rotterdam on the occasion of its tenth anniversary (the Kunsthal’s, not the city’s). They are particularly attractive to children because of their climbability. But even in my sixties, I have to admit I find them very cute. And they shine so beautifully in the sunlight.
Fikkie
The statue of the dog Fikkie was a gift from the Rotterdam Student Corps to the city of Rotterdam in 1963. Created by Hungarian-Rotterdam sculptor Joeki Simak, it was initially placed on the Eendrachtsplein, but when the historic tram house was installed there, Fikkie was moved to its current location on the Nieuwe Binnenweg. The little turd isn’t part of the original statue; it was added in 1987 by artist Hans Citroen as part of the Rotterdam Clean campaign.
The Corps is still concerned about Fikkie’s fate; the dog is regularly cuddled and cleaned by Corps members. And in the summer months, residents often place a bowl of water nearby for other dogs to drink from. Fikkie himself, as a bronze dog, of course does not need that.
Dog in heavy weather
I came across a much lesser-known bronze dog at the Nassauhaven on Feijenoord. A beautiful sculpture that, I guessed, depicts the unconditional loyalty of a dog to its owner. Further investigation showed that things are a bit more complicated. The dog is part of a larger work of art by Nicolas Dings entitled Zwaar Weer (Heavy Weather). The lighthouse in the water of the harbour and a terrazzo plateau with a compass rose are also part of it. And the dog, in the artist’s view, stands for loyalty and vigilance, so in that respect I was not far off.
The Prosperous Horse
A horse could not be left out of this photo blog. After all, horses are often immortalized in statues, though usually, someone important is riding them. The horse we see here has no rider but is part of a larger artwork called Welvaart (Wealth), by artist Piet Starreveld. Het Nakie van het Blakie (the Nude of Blaak), is what the sculpture is sometimes called, because of the naked woman of whom we can just see a few toes. On either side of the horse are also a blacksmith and a few farm workers. Together they symbolize prosperity and post-war optimism.
Nowadays we no longer find the Nude, the horse and their companions on the Blaak but on the Coolsingel, on the beautifully restored bank building where the Donner bookstore is located.
The Charlois Sphynx
Cats may be by far the most popular animal on the internet, but during my research for this blog post I hardly came across them. Yes, those big cats, lions, but not domestic cats. Two exceptions: the aforementioned Tom Poes and this sphynx cat, on a blind wall on the Voornsestraat in Charlois. Just like the frog at the Hofbogen, this is a beautiful work by Nina Valkhoff, who also painted a jungle scene on the other side of the street. I must honestly admit that I prefer cats with fur. But this hairless specimen looks very cuddly nonetheless.
Bospolder Fox
The largest animal artwork in the city can be found on Schiedamseweg in Bospolder-Tussendijken. It’s a fox, ten meters tall and sixteen meters long, made of steel and concrete with a synthetic coating. In its mouth, it holds a plastic bag, symbolizing an uneasy encounter between nature and the city. It’s said that foxes do roam in urban areas, though I’ve never seen one in Rotterdam. I suspect that they avoid the city centre and are more likely to be found in the suburbs. And perhaps in Bospolder.
The creator of the Bospolder fox is artist Florentijn Hofman. He often makes these kinds of large works of art. And the fox is not the only animal in his oeuvre. For example, he made a giant aardvark in Arnhem. And he is probably best known for his giant rubber ducks, which have floated around in many places around the world. Okay, rubber ducks are of course not real animals, but still.
This list is far from complete, of course. But the great advantage of a blog, compared to a book or magazine, is that I can always add to it. So who knows what other animals will find their way into this blog post. Suggestions are welcome!
