In honor of Marx's 195th birthday yesterday, artist Ottmar Hörl placed 500 statues of the bearded thinker throughout his hometown of Tier, Germany. The miniature Marx men were all the same size and shape, yet all cast in different shades of red.
"I want to encourage passersby to rethink Marx," Hörl told Spiegel Online, reminding us that although the German thinker is associated with labor, capital, and an impressive fortress of facial hair, his true impact is arguably far more complex.
This is not Hörl's first time paying artistic homage to a controversial figure, however. In 2009 he gathered 1,250 "Hitler dwarves" -- lawn gnomes performing the Nazi salute -- in a satirical, incendiary display.
What do you think of Hörl's uncanny birthday gesture? Let us know which historical figure you'd like to see shrunk in the comments. in the meantime, check out some more of the artist's work in the slideshow below.
Ottmar Hörl
(01 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: Gregor Gysi, chairman of the parliamentary group of the German Left party (Die Linke), with one of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(02 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: Visitors with a H&M bag walk among some of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(03 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: Visitors walk among some of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(04 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: Gregor Gysi, chairman of the parliamentary group of the German Left party (Die Linke), left, and Ottmar Hoerl, artist, with some of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(05 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: A visitor blows bubbles among some of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(06 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: Visitors walk among some of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(07 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: Some of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(08 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: One of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx in front of the Porta Nigra, on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(09 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: One of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx, stands in the museum, on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(10 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: Visitors walk among some of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(11 of16)
TRIER, GERMANY - MAY 05: Some of the 500, one meter tall statues of German political thinker Karl Marx on display on May 5, 2013 in Trier, Germany. The statues, created by artist Ottmar Hoerl, are part of an exhibition at the Museum Simeonstift Trier commemorating the 130th anniversary of the death of Marx in 1883. Marx, who was born in Trier, is the author of The Communist Manifesto, and his ideas on the relationship between labour, industry and capital created the ideological foundation for socialist and communist movements across the globe. (Photo by Hannelore Foerster/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(12 of16)
EPINAL, FRANCE: Children play in the middle of an exhibit by German sculptor Ottmar Horl 20 May 2005 in Epinal, east of France. Bleu, white and red Master Cats are displayed infront of the Town Hall of the city as part of the exhibition. (JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
(13 of16)
CHARLEVILLE, FRANCE: This picture taken 20 October 2004 shows an installation by German artist Ottmar Horl featuring 800 busts of French 19th century poet Arthur Rimbaud, displayed at Ducale square in Rimbaud's birth town of Charleville-Mezieres, near Belgian border. Charleville-Mezieres celebrates Rimbaud's 150the anniversary 20 October 2004. Arthur Rimbaud wrote some of the most enduring poetry of the 19th century, including famous poem 'Le Bateau Ivre' (The Drunken Boat). (ALAIN JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
LineArt Exhibition In Ghent(14 of16)
GHENT, BELGIUM - DECEMBER 05: An art installation titled 'Dance of/with the Devil' by German artist Ottmar Horl, featuring hundreds of Nazi-saluting garden gnomes, forms part of the the Flanders Expo - LineArt Exhibition on December 5, 2008 in Ghent, Belgium. The international 'fusion' art fair runs from Dec 5-9. (Photo by Mark Renders/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
LineArt Exhibition In Ghent(15 of16)
GHENT, BELGIUM - DECEMBER 05: An art installation titled 'Dance of/with the Devil' by German artist Ottmar Horl, featuring hundreds of Nazi-saluting garden gnomes, forms part of the the Flanders Expo - LineArt Exhibition on December 5, 2008 in Ghent, Belgium. The international 'fusion' art fair runs from Dec 5-9. (Photo by Mark Renders/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
LineArt Exhibition In Ghent(16 of16)
GHENT, BELGIUM - DECEMBER 05: An art installation titled 'Dance of/with the Devil' by German artist Ottmar Horl, featuring hundreds of Nazi-saluting garden gnomes, forms part of the the Flanders Expo - LineArt Exhibition on December 5, 2008 in Ghent, Belgium. The international 'fusion' art fair runs from Dec 5-9. (Photo by Mark Renders/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)