Gorilla (sculpture)
| Gorilla | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Artist | David Wynne |
| Completion date | 1961 |
| Type | sculpture |
| Medium | Marble |
| Subject | Guy the Gorilla |
| Dimensions | 1.2 m (3.9 ft) |
| Location | |
| 51°25′08″N 0°03′53″W / 51.4188°N 0.0646°W | |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Gorilla sculpture |
| Designated | 19 January 2016 |
| Reference no. | 1431362 |
The Gorilla sculpture by David Wynne stands beside the Lower Lake in Crystal Palace Park, in Bromley in south-east London. Completed in 1961 and installed in 1962, the black marble sculpture depicts Guy the Gorilla, a western lowland gorilla brought from West Africa to London Zoo in 1947. It became a Grade II listed structure in 2016.
Background
Guy the Gorilla was born at some point in 1946 in what was then French Cameroon.[2] Captured in 1947, he arrived at London Zoo on 5 November 1947 (Guy Fawkes Day) and was christened "Guy". He became one of the zoo's major attractions, famed for his gentle disposition. He died in 1978 of a heart attack while under general anaesthetic during an operation to extract a tooth.[3] His taxidermied remains are displayed at the entrance to the "Treasures" gallery in the central Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum.[4] In addition to the sculpture at Crystal Palace Park, Guy is also commemorated by a bronze statue by William Timym, which was installed at London Zoo in 1982.[5]
In 1959,
Description
The sculpture of Guy the Gorilla is made of polished black fossiliferous Belgian marble and stands 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) high on a marble base with a roughly finished granite plinth. The base bears the sculptor's name and the date—"David Wynne 1961"—and the title "GORILLA" is carved into the plinth. The gorilla is standing on all fours: Wynne wanted the "powerful" form to convey "all his feelings of awe and terror and love for this mighty beast".[1] Jo Darke, in her history of English and Welsh monuments, notes that Wynne's intention for the piece to be an interactive sculpture was achieved; "children pat, stroke and climb as well as look".[7]
It stands on the north side of the Lower Lake in Crystal Palace Park, near the park café. The
See also
- Harambe, 2021 statue in New York City
Notes
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Gorilla (sculpture) (Grade II) (1431362)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
- ^ Nicholls, Henry (3 February 2014). "New ape: the changing face of Guy the gorilla" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Famous Animals". Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ Nicholls, Henry (3 February 2014). "New ape: The changing face of Guy the gorilla". The Guardian.
- ^ "Guy the Gorilla: William Timym". Art UK. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ Masters, Christopher (23 September 2014). "David Wynne obituary" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ Darke 1991, p. 72.
- ^ Cherry & Pevsner 2002, p. 182.
- ^ Historic England. "Crystal Palace Park (Grade II*) (1000373)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ^ Historic England. "Prehistoric Animal Sculptures, Geological formations and Lead Mine on Islands and on land facing the Lower Lake (Grade I) (1067798)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
Sources
- Cherry, Bridget; ISBN 0-300-09651-8.
- Darke, Jo (1991). The Monument Guide to England and Wales: A National Portrait in Bronze and Stone. London: MacDonald and Co. OCLC 1008240876.
External links
Media related to Gorilla by David Wynne at Wikimedia Commons
