If the Statue of Liberty was a real person. Credit: Bas Uterwijk
2. The Woman in The Statue of Liberty May Not Be French, After All
A Dutch artist named Bas Uterwijk created this digital portrait to in order to show what The Statue of Liberty would have looked like, if she was a real French woman. But is this completely accurate? And did she really exist? The artist, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, was known for being fascinated with Egyptian architecture. He was originally going to create a statue that was nearly identical to the Statue of Liberty for the opening of the Egyptian Suez Canal. In his original plans, the woman was supposed to be an Arab wearing peasant robe, holding a torch over her head. Since the concept was nearly identical, historians believe that Bartholdi took his existing project and gave it to the United States. Many of the other figures on this list have had their race changed multiple times, and the Statue of Liberty may be no different.
Philip the Arab was Roman emperor from 244 to 249. Credit: Dan Voshart
1. Philip the Arab’s Facial Reconstruction Captures His Emotions
From 244 to 249, Philip the Arab served as the Roman emperor. He was a huge figure in the Roman empire, because he negotiated peace with the Persian Sassanid Empire. He was betrayed during the Battle of Verona, and killed in a rebellion. Because of this, he only reigned for 5 years, but he’s remembered for his accomplishments in that short time. This facial recreation is yet another artistic interpretation by artist Dan Voshart. His face looks identical to his bust, except that his expression is very sad, showing the sense of betrayal in his eyes. Because of this artwork, we can really get a sense of what Philip must have gone through.
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