In 1845, Hähnel's monument was erected, due to finances given by Robert Schumann, Charles Hallé, George Thomas Smart and especially Franz Liszt.

[6] The Beethoven monuments that followed Hähnel's, while retaining a high pedestal,[7] began to portray the composer in a less simplistic and increasingly heroic light.

[10] In the early 20th century, the glorified portrayals of Beethoven reached their peak, with god-like representations such as Max Klinger's monument (1902), unveiled at the Vienna Secession[11] (now in the Museum der bildenden Künste),[12] and Fidus's unexecuted design for a 'Beethoven temple' (1903).

[15] As the century progressed, ideas on depicting Beethoven became largely ununified, and were often especially allegorical, such as Theodor von Gosen's monument in Alameda Central, Mexico City (1921).

[18][19] There is a large collection of busts in the Beethoven House, a museum and cultural institution based in Bonn that studies Beethoven's life and legacy, including ones by an unknown artist based on a sculpture by Josef Danhauser (c. 1890);[20] Fernando Cian (first quarter of the 20th century);[21] Pierre Félix Masseau (1902);[22] Aronson (1905);[15] a mask supposedly by Wilhelm Hüsgen [de] (1920–1927);[23] Eduard Merz (1945/46);[24] Lewon Konstantinowitsch Lasarew [de] (1981);[25] and Cantemir Riscutia (1998).