Do Garden Statues Have a Place in a Modern Garden?

The great classic gardens of the past almost always featured garden statues as focal points in their designs. These would often be on a grand scale, with larger than life portrayals of men, women, birds and beasts. They would be used to attract the eye down particular vistas, to add height and interest to a flat area, or to provide a foil for water gardens or ponds.

Can those classic traditions be transported to ordinary householders' garden? The answer to that is