Statue of Saint Thomas Aquinas by Daniel Cordero Barrera

What it is

This is a photograph of a bronze statue of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Santiago, Chile. The statue was made by the Chilean sculptor Daniel Cordero Barrera and stands on a grey stone pedestal on the corner of a city street. It shows a robed figure with a halo, holding a book in one arm with the other arm outstretched. Behind it is a weathered building with graffiti, and a street market with an umbrella and people appears at the left. The photograph's Exif data gives the date 11 April 2014.

Why it matters

Aquinas lived in medieval Europe, far from Chile, so this statue shows how his memory travelled across the world. Placing a saint on a busy street, next to a market and everyday buildings, shows how his image became part of daily city life. The statue itself is a modern work, so it says more about the people who honour Aquinas today than about his own time.

Look closer

• What does the setting of the statue, with its market and graffiti, tell you about the city today?
• Why might the sculptor have chosen the book and the outstretched arm?
• What does a modern statue leave out about how Aquinas was seen in his own time?