Behemoth Tonya

This cute sculpture is located in the university courtyard of St. Petersburg University. This is one of the nicest sights not only of the university, but also of St. Petersburg. According to legend, a girl who dreams of finding a groom should hold on to the right ear of a hippo, and a young man, if he wants to find a bride, should hold on to the left. The background of this legend is as follows: once, in the XVIII century, a couple in love was separated by parents who disagreed with their union. The girl, having come to despair and not feeling the strength to live without a loved one, rushed into the Neva, and the young man jumped after her... However, a miracle happened here with the lovers: they say that in those days there were hippos in the cold waters of the Neva, a girl grabbed the right ear of one of them, and a young man grabbed the left, after which the hippo brought them to the surface and thus saved both their lives.
As usual for such iconic sculptures, the places of scuffing (ears) are polished to a golden sheen. I used a golden potal in my work. The work was done with professional watercolor paints on French cotton paper.