Washington National Cathedral

Part of sculpture exhibit:
Carnival of the Animals is Danish sculptor Bjørn Okholm Skaarup’s first American museum exhibition, presenting a contemporary bestiary in bronze. Each of the twenty animal sculptures on view offers a whimsical story or allegory to decipher, inspired by ancient fables, art history, or modern animation.

The title of the exhibition is derived from the suite Le carnaval des animaux by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns, who famously translates animal attributes into music. Okholm Skaarup instead interprets them in bronze.

The Hare and the Tortoise 2009,by Bjørn Okholm Skaarup

Nov 2016, Photo 192

Washington National Cathedral

Part of sculpture exhibit, Carnival of the Animals by Bjørn Okholm Skaarup

A cheetah rides a scooter to move faster...

Nov 2016, Photo 201

Washington National Cathedral

Part of sculpture exhibit, Carnival of the Animals

The Giraffe 2009, by Bjørn Okholm Skaarup

a giraffe stands on stilts to reach higher

Nov 2016, Photo 194

Washington National Cathedral

Part of sculpture exhibit, Carnival of the Animals by Bjørn Okholm Skaarup

Nov 2016, Photo 198

Washington National Cathedral

Part of sculpture exhibit, Carnival of the Animals by Bjørn Okholm Skaarup

His Majestic Lion, traditional king of the animals, wears the crown and armor of a great monarch in the style of Medici court sculptor Giambologna, yet he sits astride a rocking horse, a reference to his fleeting and jovial power.

Nov 2016, Photo 199