"Fallen Astronaut" is a 3.5-inch aluminum sculpture created by Belgian artist Paul van Hoeydonck and placed on the moon in 1971 by astronaut David Scott to commemorate fallen astronauts and cosmonauts. The sculpture, depicting a stylized human figure, was secretly brought aboard Apollo 15 and has remained on the moon since. While Van Hoeydonck intended to sell replicas, NASA's policy against commercial exploitation prevented this. This artwork, while not the first in space, represents a significant artistic and cultural achievement, symbolizing humanity's exploration of space and honoring those who lost their lives in the pursuit. Van Hoeydonck's artistic career was marked by experimentation and innovation, with the "Fallen Astronaut" reflecting his minimalist aesthetic and fascination with space and technology.

Arts Madness 2025

Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).

Arts Madness 2025 links:

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Paul Van Hoeydonck | Fallen Astronaut