Statue of Sigmund Freud, Hampstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids  |
|
| Artist | Oscar Nemon |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
| Type | Bronze |
| Location | London, NW3 United Kingdom |
The Sigmund Freud statue is a bronze sculpture in London. It shows Sigmund Freud, a famous thinker. He started a way of understanding the mind called psychoanalysis. The statue was made in 1971 by Oscar Nemon. It sits on a stone base in Hampstead, North London. Freud lived nearby for a short time. His old house is now the Freud Museum.
Contents
About the Sigmund Freud Statue
This statue shows Sigmund Freud sitting and thinking. His head is turned to the side. His hands are in his waistcoat pockets. The statue is a bit bigger than a real person. It is made of bronze.
The statue was paid for in the 1960s. A group led by Donald Winnicott helped raise the money. Freud's daughter, Anna Freud, was at the statue's unveiling. This happened in October 1970. Children from her clinic in Hampstead also came.
The statue was first placed in a hidden spot. It was behind the Swiss Cottage Library. In 1998, the Freud Museum moved it. Now it is in a much better spot. It is at the corner of Fitzjohn's Avenue and Belsize Lane. In January 2016, it became a Grade II listed building. This means it is an important historical structure.
Who Was Sigmund Freud?
Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) was an Austrian doctor. He is known as the founder of psychoanalysis. This is a method for treating mental health issues. It involves talking about thoughts and experiences. Freud believed that our unconscious mind affects our behavior. He wrote many books about his ideas. He lived in London for the last months of his life. His home is now the Freud Museum.
The Artist: Oscar Nemon
The sculptor of the statue was Oscar Nemon (1906–1985). He was born in Osijek. This city is now in Croatia. He later moved to Vienna in the 1920s. Nemon had read Freud's books when he was a teenager. He first tried to sculpt Freud when he was young. Freud said no at that time.
Later, Nemon became a well-known artist. In 1931, Freud's assistant asked Nemon to sculpt Freud. This was for Freud's 75th birthday. Nemon made busts of Freud from wood, bronze, and plaster. Freud chose to keep the wooden one. This wooden bust is now at the Freud Museum in Hampstead. Nemon visited Freud one last time in London in 1938. His final sittings helped create the head for this bronze statue.
Creating the Statue
Freud himself liked Nemon's work. In July 1931, he wrote in his diary: "The head... is very good and an astonishingly life-like impression of me." However, Freud's housekeeper, Paula Fichtl, thought the statue made him look "too angry." Freud replied, "But I am angry. I am angry with humanity." This shows Freud's strong feelings at the time.
