The well-known statue was inaugurated in September 1931 in front of thousands of spectators. When the statue was first unveiled, it caused mixed reactions, with critics finding the proportions unusual, but over time Poseidon has been taken to the hearts of the Gothenburg locals.
Carl Mille’s seven-meter-high bronze sculpture depicts the god of the sea in a powerful pose with a fish in one hand and a seashell in the other. Standing in the fountain, he is surrounded by sculptures and reliefs of imaginative water creatures that reflect Gothenburg’s long maritime history.
Götaplatsen – a center for art and culture
Götaplatsen itself is a cultural hub, and Poseidon is surrounded by the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the Gothenburg Concert Hall and the Gothenburg City Theatre, whose buildings are architectural classics from the 1920s and 1930s. The view from the stairs of the art museum, with the statue in the foreground and the avenue stretching down through the city, is one of Gothenburg’s most classic photographed views.
