.png)
The Truth about the Gates of Hell, Zurich
The Truth about the Gates of Hell
Despite the cold October Swiss breeze, the sun willfully pierced
through every corner of this inferno
masterpiece. At long last, I was standing in front of The Gates of Hell,
all alive and cognizant of the reality it brings. You see, I didn’t die or
hallucinate about agony. Hell is one of the very few places I would rather not
add to my travel list, in this lifetime or the next. But then again, this
sculptural masterpiece by French artist Auguste
Rodin about The Gates of Hell breathes new life into the idea of
underworld, pain, and redemption. Hell, no. Hell on earth, maybe worth a visit,
because of this one.
Although the original gate is in Musée
d'Orsay in Paris, there are quite a few Gates of Hell scattered
across everywhere. One in Philadelphia,
another in Tokyo, one in Stanford
University, another in Seoul,
and the most iconic of all, the one in Kunsthaus, Zurich.
The gate sculpture is beside the art house, no entrance fee and no opening hours
needed. Best way to go is by tram or by foot,
during weekday afternoons, when the sun is up, and the crowd is understated.
The Gates of Hell stands out against the peaceful façade of the
Kunsthaus, all dark and intriguing. Imagine on and off for 37 years, the inspiration and fruition of the Gates of Hell was one
of the most controversial things during its time. Painstaking ordeal, yes. And
because of this, you can clearly see the craft and imagination in every
outstanding figure showed on the Gates of Hell. Seeing how the obscurely
elaborate details are sculpted and meshed together, I couldn’t help but get
gripped at the sight of all 180 figures.
From Adam and Eve to the Thinker figures, all is mysterious --- mysterious
enough to take you into a different kind of travel experience, one about wretchedness
to history. Gives some truth and lenient understanding on what and how hell
looks like.
Growing up in a small town and being too sheltered on certain beliefs, I would think that these kinds of things are blasphemous. But then again, traveling changes everything in ways that I couldn’t have imagined was possible and the next thing I know, I’m standing in front of The Gates of Hell, admiring it, understanding it, and telling about it to everyone else. Truth is, everything is not made to be understood, but everything is made to be appreciated.
Address: Heimplatz 1, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
[SWITZERLAND TRAVEL] Read the rest of Explore Switzerland Travel
Blog Series:
Anti-Bread Allergy at Kleiner Café
Crossing the Quaibrücke
Face off with the Fraumünster
Go Back in Time with Kirche St Peter
Grossmünster: The Unsurpassed View of Zurich
How to Dump a Beautiful City
In the Middle of Swiss and Stars
Profanity Obsession in Limmatquai
Royal Döner: Why Try Turkish in Swiss
Stop and Stare at Starbucks Zürich
Switzerland Travel Video
The Best Things in Zürich, Switzerland
The Truth about the Gates of Hell
Year End Wrap Up: 12 Highlights of 2013
0 Wandering Thoughts: