If you’re wandering through Delaware, you might stumble upon a figure that stops you in your tracks. Standing ten feet tall and tinged a ghostly sea-foam green by years of rain, The Crying Giant is one of the most poignant and mysterious sculptures in the state. 🏛️✨

Created by renowned artist Tom Otterness, this copper behemoth was originally conceived as a deeply ambitious memorial to the victims of the September 11 attacks. In Otterness’s initial vision, the sculpture was meant to be an immersive experience of grief. The giant’s eyes were designed to drip an endless stream of water into basins below, simulating a constant flow of sorrowful tears. 💧😢 There were even plans for an elevator that would whisk visitors up to an attached observation deck, allowing them to look out over the landscape from the giant's perspective.

However, as is often the case with grand artistic visions, the full plans never quite came to fruition. Today, the giant stands not as the finished monument, but as a "maquette"—a rough draft or scale model of those original, heartbreaking intentions. 🎨📉

Even without the flowing water and the observation deck, the sculpture remains incredibly powerful. Its dry eyes and slumped posture speak volumes about the weight of mourning. The green patina that has developed over the years only adds to its somber, ancient feel. It serves as a quiet, heavy reminder of a day that changed everything, a symbol of grief too large to put into words. 🕊️🖤

Next time you're in the Wilmington area, take a moment to visit this silent sentinel. It’s a beautiful example of how art can capture the heart, even when the "tears" don't fall.

Stay reflective,

The Driveby Tourist Team ✌️🎨

"Trauma took away happy memories.” – Anonymous

Classic Rock song: "Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton

Please email me about memorials to sad events you’ve seen.

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Until next time.....

Stan

Featured Post: I don’t have a post that specifically addresses an event like 911. The best I can do is my visit to the Buddy Holly crash site in Iowa.