Havis Amanda

Tourists taking pictures of Havis Amanda under the rain.
Havis Amanda is a nude female statue at the Market Square. Sculptor Ville Vallgren completed her in 1908 using a Parisian 19-year-old girl as his model. The statue was initially highly controversial. She barely survived the plans to melt the bronze again. The sea lions, with their human tongues out, were said to represent men lusting after the mademoiselle. Nowadays the statue is one of the most beloved landmarks in Helsinki.