A pedestal is an element that allows you to hold something.
A pedestal is a solid body that supports a column, a statue or something similar . Pedestals - from the French piédestal - usually have a cylindrical or rectangular parallelepiped shape.
For example: “The monument to the hero of independence is supported by a two-ton pedestal,” “Vandals damaged the pedestal of the statue with political graffiti,” “We could only see the pedestal, because the figure of the president is being restored in a workshop.”
Pedestal in architecture
For architecture , the pedestal is the prismatic support that supports another larger support . The pedestal is composed of the plinth , the socket and the cornice . If the pedestal supports a series of columns , it is called a stylobate.
It is important to determine that there is a wide variety of types of pedestals within the architectural field. Thus, in this sense, we could highlight the soft ones , which are trunk-shaped; the ornate ones, which are those that opt for having weapons or bas-reliefs of different types; the continuous ones, which follow an established order, and the irregular ones , which are those that have totally different faces and angles.
Other types of elements
In addition to everything stated above, we have to explain that there are other types of pedestals. Among them we would highlight, for example, those used to place microphones , which are used by singers, musicians or even politicians and speakers in their interventions before an audience.
But there are also the pedestals for pots and plants , very typical of Andalusia , which are made of wrought iron.
It is common for monuments to be placed on pedestals.
Symbolic use of the term pedestal
In symbolic language, the notion of pedestal is used to name the basis on which something is affirmed or that which acts as a means to achieve something : “This trophy can be the pedestal to get a better contract,” “Our entire political platform is held by the pedestal of honesty and transparency” , “Don't be stupid, this position can be the pedestal of a professional career in this industry” .
It is said that someone is on a pedestal when they seem superior to ordinary people . Being on a pedestal, the figure is unreachable and looks down on everyone. Therefore, the idea of taking someone off the pedestal is linked to demystifying them: “An unauthorized biography takes the music star off the pedestal and shows him in his human dimension, with all his miseries.”
A work by Antonio Gala
Within the literary field we would have to highlight the existence of one of the various works that opt for including the term in question in their titles. In this case, we are referring to “The pedestal of the statues” , which was written in 2007 by the great Spanish author Antonio Gala .
The protagonist of that story is none other than Antonio González , the secretary of King Philip II , who will lead the reader to the discovery of a wide range of plots and secrets kept by the court. He has all of them hidden in a chest, where the documents rest that serve as witnesses to murders or all kinds of plans orchestrated by nobles and even by illustrious figures of the Church.