That's a weird little patio.
I think the silhouette is a fine choice to attempt to make the most lemonade out of life giving you sunny, harsh-shadowed lemons. But to me, even biting the bullet on the shadows here isn't enough to make up for their distractingness.
It might have helped in #2 if the shadow on the "obelisk" were the only visible one, and if it didn't lead out of frame, in addition to the silhouette? Would make it feel more like an intentional focal point. Sort of like a little comment to the viewer "Oh hey look, isn't it nifty how this sort of looks like a sundial?"