Venus de Milo de nieve — Daniel and Miguel Ángel, Alcalá de Henares
Daniel and Miguel Ángel (names vary in reports) · 2021 · Parque del Ángel neighbourhood, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Photo: from the Street Art Utopia archive; the photographer is not named in the sources (Dream Alcalá says the makers shared their own photos).
During Storm Filomena in January 2021, two lifelong friends in the Parque del Ángel neighbourhood of Alcalá de Henares, near Madrid, set out to build a snowman, piled up snow about three metres high and ended up carving a copy of the Venus de Milo from it. According to the local site Dream Alcalá, Daniel, who runs an osteopathy centre, and Miguel Ángel, a firefighter, carved for six hours after two hours of piling up snow. Their photos spread worldwide, though the sculpture reportedly collapsed the next day. Source Source Source Reported
Gone Jan 2021: Ciudad (crediting DPA, 15 Jan 2021) reported that the snow sculpture did not stay upright long and was found completely collapsed the next day. Source Reported
💡 4 things to know
- It started as a snowmanDaniel told Dream Alcalá the plan was a snowman; the pile of snow grew to about three metres, and the mound’s proportions reminded them of the Venus de Milo. Source Reported
- Eight hours of workDream Alcalá reports six hours of carving plus two more gathering snow, and says police stopped to congratulate them. Source Reported
- Not quite untrainedDaniel has no art training, but Miguel Ángel, a firefighter at the Alcalá station, took the arts track at IES Antonio Machado secondary school, per Dream Alcalá. Source Reported
- Short-livedAn Argentine report crediting DPA says the sculpture did not stay upright long and was found completely collapsed the next day. Source Reported
📍 Where it is
Parque del Ángel neighbourhood in Alcalá de Henares, Community of Madrid, Spain. Source Source Source Checked
Opens a map at Alcalá de Henares; the exact street within the Parque del Ángel neighbourhood is not specified in the sources.
🗓️ Sightings
- 202111 Jan
Makers interviewed · Dream Alcalá
- 202112 Jan
Covered by Time Out Madrid
- 202113 Jan
In Time Out Madrid’s roundup of Filomena snow sculptures
- 202115 Jan
Reported collapsed the day after it was made · Ciudad (DPA)
Amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark reports that the work is gone. Publication dates are not camera dates.
🗞️ In the sources
La Venus de Milo en nieve de Alcalá de Henares da la vuelta al mundo
“Estuvieron esculpiendo la estatua durante seis horas, más otras dos acumulando nieve para la figura.”
They spent six hours carving the statue, plus another two piling up snow for the figure.
La Venus de Milo de nieve de Alcalá de Henares que arrasa en las redes
“la forma del montículo tenía unas proporciones parecidas a la Venus de Milo”
The shape of the mound had proportions similar to the Venus de Milo.
La increíble Venus de Milo de nieve que arrasa en las redes
“uno de ellos regenta un centro de osteopatía y masajes deportivos, mientras el otro es bombero.”
One of them runs an osteopathy and sports-massage centre, while the other is a firefighter.
La Venus de Milo de Madrid: una escultura tallada por un osteópata y un bombero con nieve
“Lamentablemente, la escultura no aguantó erguida mucho tiempo. Al día siguiente, apareció completamente desmoronada.”
Unfortunately the sculpture did not stay upright for long. The next day it was found completely collapsed.
✅ The facts
- Names in other reports
- Time Out Madrid and Ciudad name the pair as Jaime and Daniel; Time Out Madrid also quotes Daniel calling his partner Miguel Ángel Source Source Conflicting
- Day made
- “Last Saturday”, per a DPA report republished on 15 January 2021; the exact date is not given Source Reported
- Snow pile
- About 3 metres high before carving began; Ciudad’s subtitle also gives three metres for the sculpture Source Source Reported
🔗 Related
All sources & image credits
- Dream Alcalá — La Venus de Milo en nieve de Alcalá de Henares da la vuelta al mundo — 11 Jan 2021
- Time Out Madrid — La Venus de Milo de nieve de Alcalá de Henares que arrasa en las redes — 12 Jan 2021
- Time Out Madrid — Las esculturas de nieve más espectaculares de todo Madrid — 13 Jan 2021
- Time Out Barcelona — La increíble Venus de Milo de nieve que arrasa en las redes — 14 Jan 2021
- Ciudad (DPA) — La Venus de Milo de Madrid: una escultura tallada por un osteópata y un bombero con nieve — 15 Jan 2021
- Hero image: Street Art Utopia archive. A 16:9 share image was made from it with blurred sides.
Last checked: 7 November 2026 · How we verify art