INCREDIBLE NEPTUNE SCULPTURE DISAPPEARS AND REAPPEARS WITH THE TIDES
Neptune is the sea deity in Roman mythology. For this reason, the ocean itself is the ideal location for a sculpture of this deity. A statue of Neptune appears to rise above the waters in front of Melenara Beach in Gran Canaria, one of Spain's Canary Islands. The sculpture welcomes visitors to its maritime territories, making it a striking appearance in this well-liked tourist location.
The sculpture was made by the late Spanish artist Luis Arencibia and is titled Neptuno del Puntón, which means "Neptune of tip," or Neptuno saliendo del mar, which means "Neptune emerging from the sea." The sculptor's hometown was Telde, which is close to the current location of the Neptune statue. The piece, which is 13.8 feet tall, was put in place in September 2001. The statue sitting in the sea vanishes and then reappears as the tide rises and lowers.
Its placement is undoubtedly a creative decision, but it has a distinct set of issues. In addition to the damage brought on by the waves' repeated hitting, youngsters have climbed the sculpture throughout the years, wearing it down in the process. An arm and its trident were lost in a storm in the area in 2010, and they weren't rebuilt until 2017 for €23,184 (about $26,800). As part of this renovation, the statue was welded to the rock it stands on and reinforced with stainless steel bars. To keep people from climbing it, it has also been coated in oil.
The sculpture depicts "a Neptune at the same time beneficent and threatening, forceful and delicate, vigilant and playful," according to Spanish journalist Luis León Barreto. He also describes how the villagers claim that Neptune's sunken eyes have a ghostly glimmer in the dark, echoing the ancient human need for a transcendental entity to lead them out of the shadows. The mythological deity already has a partiality for this Gran Canarian littoral. In the face of hardship, his trident symbolises bravery and determination, according to Barreto. "It has become so established that it is like a lighthouse on the horizon."