Statue of Tycho Brahe by Siegfried Wagner, Copenhagen

What it is

This is a photograph of a dark stone bust of Tycho Brahe in Copenhagen, Denmark, made by the sculptor Siegfried Wagner. The bust shows a bearded man with a high forehead, a ruff collar, and a chain with a pendant. It sits on a rectangular plinth engraved with the name TYCHO BRAHE, in front of a brick wall. The Commons record notes that the statue is in the public domain because the sculptor died more than 70 years ago.

Why it matters

Brahe was a Danish astronomer whose observations were central to the scientific revolution of the late 1500s and early 1600s. Statues like this one show how later societies chose to honor scientists. Because the sculptor worked long after Brahe's death, the face is an artist's interpretation rather than a record of his real appearance.

Look closer

• What features did the sculptor choose to emphasize, and why might he have done so?
• Why might a city choose to honor a scientist with a statue?
• What can this statue tell us about Brahe, and what can it not tell us?