Leendert Bolle Untitled (1940)

At the old main entrance of Diergaarde Blijdorp, on the east side of Van Aerssenlaan, there are seven animal sculptures on seven columns made by the Rotterdam sculptor Leendert Bolle. Blijdorp Zoo was designed in its entirety by architect Sybold van Ravesteyn, who was commissioned in 1938. In 1937, the municipal council decided that the zoo had to move from the center due to urban development. The curved line is strikingly present in Van Ravesteyn's entire design. Van Ravesteyn's typical combination of neo-baroque elements, such as columns and balustrades, with contemporary building materials and functionalist elements is also very recognizable. The architecture is enlivened by sculptures and ornaments made by various painters and sculptors, including Charles van Eyck, Jo Uiterwaal, Agnes Canta, Dick Effers and Leendert Bolle. The buildings were created as a collective work of art. Bolle was commissioned by Van Ravesteyn to make a number of decorative ornaments at the entrance. The sculptures are playful, strong because of their simplification and recognizable for the Zoo. The seven double columns with ornaments mark the old entrance of Diergaarde Blijdorp with a grand and appropriate gesture, so that the entrance can be experienced as an experience. The seven animals depicted are seahorses, bird, dolphins, elephant, snake, lion and two monkeys. The new zoo was officially opened on December 7, 1940. Since 2004, several buildings of Diergaarde Blijdorp have been declared a national monument, including Van Ravesteyn's entrance gate, which also includes the seven animal sculptures by Leendert Bolle.