Majestic
By Robert Larum & Melissa Cooper, Installed 2024
This exquisite life-sized Arabian mare, now a cherished resident of the Benson Sculpture Garden, was a heartfelt and deeply personal donation from the Sculpture in the Park artists Melissa Cooper and the Larum family. This sculpture is not just a tribute, but a testament to the profound love and respect Melissa and the Larum family hold for Robert Larum, and his 49 years of business with Loveland’s foundries and patina services. Robert Larum’s artistic talent was not just showcased but celebrated in the early years of the Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale, and his memory lives on in this beautiful sculpture.
Robert Larum and his wife, Mary Jo, lived in Littleton, Colorado. It is where he had his studio, where he sculptured and performed much of the process of lost wax casting, including mold making.
During World War II, Robert’s first encounter with the Arabian horsed, brought in his native homeland of Norway by occupying troops ignited a spark of inspiration. This spark, fueled by the magnificent creature’s beauty and grace, led to his raising and sculpting of Arabian horses, a passion that would shape his artistic contributions.
The creation of “Majestic” was a joint effort between Robert Larum and his daughter Melissa Cooper. We are left to the act of this creation between a father and a daughter as we visit her in the garden. The artists, woven into the fabric of the Sculpture in the Park Show and Sale, are treasured individually and as a pair of beautiful creators.
The Loveland High Plains Arts Council is grateful for Melissa Cooper and the Larum Family’s donation of “Majestic.”
