“Female Dancer” by Giacomo Manzú
Italian artist Manzú created a sculpture in 1955, that has been standing at the Rose Hills of Mirabell Gardens since 1976. The rather fragile „Female Dancer“ is positioned in the center of a world famous panoramic view.
With its dwarfs, the Hedge Theater and its antique statues, Mirabell Gardens has always been a home for art. The Rose Hill is likewise adorned by a sculpture: the figure of a naked dancer created by Giacomo Manzú. The dancer, standing on point and stretching skywards, conveys a sense of lightness combined with concentration. The beauty of the statue is underscored by the world-famous gardens and the city panorama.
German publisher Franz Burda gave this statue to Salzburg in 1976, the city where he had met dancer Inge Schnabel back in the 1950s. Franz Burda had very close ties to Salzburg since he had taught at the Summer Academy here for a number of years. It was also here that Burda made the acquaintance of the Italian artist Manzú, himself a big Salzburg fan. Together with Oscar Kokoschka, Manzú was one of the prominent figures of the Summer Academy of Fine Arts.
Other works by Manzú in Salzburg include the big “Door of Love” at Salzburg Cathedral, “The Cardinal” at the foot of the cathedral arches and the figure “Prince-Archbishop Paris Lodron” at the Salzburg University Faculty of Natural Sciences.
