Vier Tageszeiten, Bronze sculpture at Brühl's Terrace, Dresden, Germany and stone sculpture in Chemnitz Castle Park, Germany
Vier Tageszeiten, or Four Times of Day, is a set of outdoor sculpture groups placed in two German cities: bronze figures on the Bruehl Terrace in Dresden and sandstone figures in Chemnitz. The groups each show male and female figures together with children, arranged to represent morning, midday, evening, and night.
Johannes Schilling created the original figures in sandstone in 1868 for the Bruehl Terrace in Dresden, where they replaced earlier lion sculptures. In 1936, the sandstone originals were moved to Chemnitz and bronze casts were installed at the Dresden site in their place.
Each group shows men, women, and children in moments that belong to a different part of the day, from labor to rest. Visitors standing close can follow the story told by the postures and gestures of each figure without needing any explanation.
The bronze versions stand along the Bruehl Terrace in Dresden, easy to find on a walk by the river, while the sandstone versions are located in Chemnitz and also freely accessible outdoors. Both groups are best seen in good daylight, which helps bring out the detail of the figures.
The sandstone originals were given to Chemnitz by King Albert in 1898 and arrived in 1908, first decorating the steps between Theaterplatz and Schillerpark in front of the Petrikirche. In 1928 they had to make way for the new Chemnitzer Hof hotel, and in 1936 they were re-erected at the stairway before the fountain in the Schlossteichpark. Since winter they are shielded by glass covers.
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