Description of the attraction
Sven Hansen's figures are another distinctive symbol of the city of Esbjerg. They are located west of the city itself, not far from the suburb of Sadding and the city beach.
Sven Hansen's figures are a sculptural group made of white concrete and depicting four seated men. It is called “Men by the Sea”. The height of each such figure is 9 meters. The sculptural group was made in 1995, while financial support for the work was provided by the authorities of the city municipality, a specially created fund, and private sponsors who wished to remain anonymous. The construction of this kind of monument was timed to coincide with the centenary of the municipality of Esbjerg, which was celebrated a little earlier - in 1994.
The author of the project was Sven Hansen, a famous Danish painter and sculptor. He found inspiration in primitive art - such a trend in modern painting and sculpture was very popular during the heyday of the avant-garde movement COBRA, that is, around the mid-fifties. It is known that when creating the sculptural group "Men by the Sea" Hansen used as a model the art of the Cycladic civilization that lived in the Bronze Age on the Greek islands. Also, in the appearance of these figures, there is a noticeable resemblance to the famous idols from Easter Island. Initially, Sven Hansen planned to place his sculptural group at the northernmost tip of Denmark - at Cape Grenen, located four kilometers from Skagen.
Now the figures of Sven Hansen are wildly popular with tourists visiting Esbjerg. They are well located - they are perfectly visible from any ship leaving the city harbor. From the hill where this sculptural group stands, there is an amazing view of the city of Esbjerg itself, its port area and especially the Maritime Museum.
