“A great date for Catholic Brazil.” That's how the newspaper Correio da Manhã opened on October 13, 1931, one day after the inauguration of Rio's most famous monument: the Cristo Redentor. Since then, the 30m-tall monument — not counting its 8m pedestal — atop Corcovado, 710 meters high, has loomed over the city with a serene countenance. With its arms open like a human cross, the work — an example of the art deco typical of the turn of the 1930s — represents divine welcome and protection over Rio de Janeiro and its inhabitants. The eyes, rendered without iris or pupil, give the impression that the Christ is looking at everything at once.
Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph of the Cristo Redentor, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The image shows the monument of Jesus Christ standing atop a cliff, with arms open in a gesture of blessing. On the left, we see a metal structure that appears to be part of the access system to the monument. In the background, there is an urban area with buildings and streets. The photo was taken from above, providing a panoramic view of the monument and its base.Mon. A. Cristo Redemptor, c.1935. Fundação Biblioteca Nacional
The idea of building a colossal statue of Jesus Christ in the country's capital had already been circulating since at least 1859. But between the idea of Father Pedro Maria Boss (?-1916) — chaplain of the Colégio Imaculada Conceição, in Botafogo, and the first enthusiast of the idea —, and the start of construction on the religious monument, in 1926, almost 70 years had gone by. The project had been approved in 1922, riding on the momentum of the centennial of Independence, and from the outset it drew great excitement from the population, with a popular mobilization even taking place to raise funds for the execution of the works.
The first design released for the monument, made by engineer-architect Heitor da Silva Costa, was quite different from the one the world knows today. Instead of open arms, the original Christ held a globe in one arm and a cross in the other. Beyond the popular humor, which came to call the future monument "the ball Christ," the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes itself criticized the project's visibility and feasibility. The change to the iconic open-armed figure came from the painter Carlos Oswald, called upon by Heitor to help with the project. The hands and face of Christ were entrusted to the French sculptor, Paul Landowski. The artist's choice of the art-déco style, with its simplification for sculpting Christ's face, helped preserve the monument, which retains its original features even 90 years later.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white print. It shows a monumental statue of Cristo Redentor, located at the top of Corcovado, in Rio de Janeiro. The statue is positioned at the center of the image, with a square pedestal at its base. To the left of the statue, there is a set of lanterns and a tree. To the right, there is also a lantern and a tree. In the background, there is a panoramic view of the city of Rio de Janeiro. At the top of the image, there is text explaining the construction and importance of the monument.Original design by Heitor da Silva Costa for the Cristo Redentor. Revista da Semana, September 1, 1923. Fundação Biblioteca Nacional
The construction was a feat of national engineering. Under the leadership of Heitor da Silva Costa, the logistical challenge of carrying 1,145 tons to the top of Corcovado took more than five years to complete. The hundreds of reinforced concrete pieces fit together perfectly, and were sculpted by hand in loco, right after being assembled. But contrary to what one might imagine, the feat of building the Cristo Redentor involved little more than a dozen workers.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a monument under construction. From the left side toward the center, we see scaffolding structures supporting the monument. In the center, there is a large human statue in the process of being assembled. On the right, more scaffolding covers the structure. In the background, we see a staircase leading up to the monument. People are spread across different points of the scaffolding, working on the construction.O Cristo Redentor, durante sua construção, por volta de 1929. Arquivo Nacional
So as not to leave the monument with a “dry” appearance, Heitor da Silva Costa came up with the idea of covering it with a mosaic made of soapstone, brought straight from Minas Gerais, in small triangular tiles. This final stage relied on a collective effort by Catholic women, who were responsible for gluing the thousands of tiles onto fabric and cardboard, which served as a base for attaching the little stones to the statue — and the practice of writing names on these tiles is an extra ingredient in this act of devotion and faith: Christ, who watches over Rio de Janeiro, is covered with the names of his faithful.
The image of Christ shapes the Rio skyline like no other. The monument, said filmmaker Bel Lisboa, really does serve as a compass for the city. Whether from a spiritual angle, guiding followers of the Catholic faith, or a geographical one, since it serves as a reference point for people to orient themselves and know where they're headed. And it goes further: it is a landmark in the imagination of the entire world when it comes to Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.
Image description: This is an aerial photograph of a coastal city with a body of water in the background. On the left side, we see a densely populated area with tall and low buildings. Moving to the right, we find a series of islands and peninsulas covered with green vegetation. In the center, there is an irregularly shaped mountain, notable for its height. On the right, a famous monument rises above the city, with a figure stretching out its arms. The horizon is made up of a line of distant mountains, and the sky is clear, indicating a sunny day.Gustavo Nacht/Unsplash
