# Christ the Redeemer (DD-116)

> Christ the Redeemer is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ on Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was designed by French sculptor Paul Landowski and Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, with French engineer Albert Caquot; Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida sculpted the face. Built of reinforced concrete with a soapstone skin, it was constructed between 1922 and 1931 and dedicated on October 12, 1931. It stands 30 m (98 ft) tall, excluding its 8 m (26 ft) pedestal, with arms 28 m (92 ft) wide. It was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World on July 7, 2007. The footage shows the statue, Rio and portraits, with the presenter. This is No. 3 in his Seven Wonders of the New World series.

- Department: Locations (also History)
- First published: 2023-12-11
- Last updated: 2023-12-11
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/christ-the-redeemer/
- Original Reel title: Christ the Redeemer ✝️
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **1931**: The statue is dedicated
- **July 7, 2007**: Named one of the New 7 Wonders

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=christ-the-redeemer

## Quick facts

- **DD-116-F01**: It stands on Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Corcovado))_
- **DD-116-F02**: Paul Landowski and Heitor da Silva Costa designed it. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Designers))_

## Write-up

Rio's Christ the Redeemer is 30 m tall on an 8 m pedestal. It was built between 1922 and 1931.

1. **Corcovado**: It stands on Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro.
2. **Designers**: Paul Landowski and Heitor da Silva Costa designed it.
3. **1922-1931**: It was built between 1922 and 1931.
4. **30 m plus pedestal**: It's 30 m tall on an 8 m pedestal.
5. **New 7 Wonders**: It was named a New 7 Wonder in 2007.

## Related case files

- [The Motherland Calls (DD-590)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-motherland-calls/): I paired it with another colossal statue

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: 'The initial design... around 46 m... the winning design was much larger': I couldn't verify this, and the Reel's own numbers contradict it (46 m initial, 30 m final).
- **Note**: 'Construction took place between 1926 and 1931': Wikipedia gives 1922 to 1931.
- **Note**: Paul Landowski was French, of Polish descent; I kept the Reel's 'Polish-French' in the transcript.
- **Note**: 'No. 3' is the order of his own series; the New 7 Wonders aren't ranked.

## Video: Christ the Redeemer: Rio's Christ the Redeemer Is 30 m Tall on an 8 m Pedestal

- Duration: 50.4 s · Published: 2023-12-11
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/C0vIXufNwkZ.mp4

### Transcript

The Seven Wonders of the New World No. 3 Christ the Redeemer DID YOU KNOW? Christ the Redeemer, the iconic statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was originally planned to be much smaller than the final design The idea for the statue was proposed in the 1920s to honor the Centennial of Brazil's independence from Portugal. The initial design for the statue was more modest, standing at around 46m or 150ft tall, however, when the project was approved, a competition was held to select the best design. The winning design, submitted by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski, was much larger and more ambitious, resulting in the towering Christ the Redeemer we now recognize, standing at approximately 30m or 98ft tall, with an additional 8m or 26ft pedestal. The construction of Christ the Redeemer took place between 1926 and 1931, and it has since become one of the new Seven Wonders of the world, attracting millions of visitors each year. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Where does the statue stand?**  
A: Overlooking the city. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Corcovado) · Wikipedia: Christ the Redeemer (statue))_

**Q: Which sculptor designed it?**  
A: With Heitor da Silva Costa. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Designers) · Wikipedia: Christ the Redeemer (statue))_

**Q: When was it built?**  
A: Dedicated in 1931. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (1922-1931) · Wikipedia: Christ the Redeemer (statue))_

**Q: How tall is the statue itself?**  
A: Plus an 8 m pedestal. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (30 m plus pedestal) · Wikipedia: Christ the Redeemer (statue))_

**Q: When was it named a New 7 Wonder?**  
A: July 7, 2007. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (New 7 Wonders) · Wikipedia: Christ the Redeemer (statue); Wikipedia: New7Wonders of the World)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Christ the Redeemer (statue)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_the_Redeemer_%28statue%29)
- [Wikipedia: New7Wonders of the World](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New7Wonders_of_the_World)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Christ the Redeemer." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-116, last updated Dec 11, 2023. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/christ-the-redeemer/