Quote:
Originally Posted by The Squatter of Amon Rūdh
Tempting though it is to think that Tolkien based the pillars of the Argonath on a specific statue he had seen, I notice that Bismarck is holding a sword, with both of his hands clasped on the hilt and a shield at his feet as befits a commemorative work. The statues of Isildur and Anįrion hold axes in their right hands, with their left hands extended in warning, as one would expect from a statue placed as a border marker. Other than the fact that all are large statues of armed men, I can't see that they have enough in common to suggest a direct inspiration, although I suppose that some illustrations of Tolkien may have been influenced by the German statue.
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The posture is different, true. And there's only one Bismarck but two argonauts
Yet the feel of the statue is so Argonaut-ish
"Stern warrior-king from the past". And the size is about right too. I think he got the idea from the statue and then, naturally, adapted it.
But sure, if there's no evidence of Tolkien going to Hamburg or reading about the statue in a newspaper or (I guess it was mentioned in the general media at 1905) When I made the thread I was sort of hoping someone knew he had made a trip to Hamburg but noone's biting, so it's just a hypothesis...