A wooden statue of Melania Trump, sculpted by Aleš "Maxi" Župevc, was installed in her hometown of Sevnica,

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

in 2019. The

wood carving Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...

was commissioned by Brad Downey, an American artist living in Berlin. The statue was torched on the night of

July 4 Events Pre-1600 * 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaim ...

, 2020, and removed soon after. It was replaced by a bronze-cast version in September that year.

Description

The statue is a life-size depiction of Melania Trump. In its original wooden form, the dress and arms of the statue are painted powder blue, to reflect her outfit at the

inauguration of Donald Trump The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States marked the commencement of Donald Trump's term as president and Mike Pence as vice president. An estimated 300,000 to 600,000 people attended the public ceremony hel ...

. The original statue was carved out of a poplar tree, and the bronze replacement stands on the same trunk. From the ground to the tip of the statue, it stands tall.

History

Wooden version

Brad Downey commissioned Aleš Župevc, also known as "Maxi," to create the statue as part of an exposition in

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...

. Župevc, an amateur woodworker employed as a pipelayer, carved the statue out of a poplar tree using a

chainsaw A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable gasoline-, electric-, or battery-powered saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. It is used in activities such as tree felling, limbing, bucking, pruning, ...

. The statue was officially unveiled on July 5, 2019. Following the statue's unveiling, it was met with derision; an

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

report quoted local residents calling it "a disgrace" and comparing it to Smurfette. In an interview with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', Downey said that " �upevcwasn't making a joke." The statue was set on fire on the night of July 4, 2020, coinciding with American Independence Day celebrations. It was removed by Downey soon after. The burnt statue was exhibited in a seaside town near Sevnica.

Bronze version

A replacement, cast in bronze, was unveiled on September 15, 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trump, Statue of Melania 2019 establishments in Slovenia 2019 sculptures 2020 sculptures Bronze sculptures Cultural depictions of Melania Trump Destroyed sculptures Monuments and memorials in Slovenia Outdoor sculptures Sculptures of women Statues in Slovenia Vandalized works of art Wooden sculptures

Description

History

Wooden version

Bronze version

See also

References