Leendert Bolle Untitled (1940)

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