An allegorical, mechanical humanoid figure with a sovereign enthroned in its chest and a body made of tiny human figures, against a cloudy sky.

A monumental allegorical figure representing Thomas Hobbes’ “artificial man” from Leviathan. The figure is humanoid but clearly mechanical and political rather than natural. At its center, a glowing sovereign sits enthroned in the chest or head, radiating authority like a soul animating the body. The body is composed of thousands of tiny human figures, symbolizing citizens, all facing inward toward the sovereign. The arms and legs are articulated with visible joints labeled as magistrates and public officers, enabling controlled movement. Fine, luminous nerve-like threads run from the sovereign through the body, representing laws, rewards, and punishments guiding action. Veins of flowing gold and coin-like shapes circulate throughout the body as blood, symbolizing money nourishing the state. Within the head, intricate clockwork and archives represent reason, will, and memory, with counsellors depicted as whispering figures embedded in the brain. The musculature is strong and fortified, symbolizing the wealth and strength of the people. Mehr sehen