The Messenger (sculpture in Sutton)
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''The Messenger'' is a statue by the English sculptor David Wynne, OBE of a horse and rider. It was installed in the town centre of
Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Stu-Sz#Su, location * S ...
in Greater London, England in 1981.


Appearance

The statue features a horse and nude young male rider, created in
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
with very dark
patina Patina ( or ) is a thin layer that variously forms on the surface of copper, brass, bronze and similar metals and metal alloys (tarnish produced by oxidation or other chemical processes) or certain stones and wooden furniture (sheen produced b ...
tion. It is located directly outside the main entrance to Quadrant House (in the Quadrant), adjacent to Sutton railway station. The horse, with a slightly raised left leg, looks towards the station. The boy-rider, seated bareback, raises his left hand in the air above his head and his right hand to his mouth, as if calling out. It is fully life-size and mounted on a 7-foot plinth of marble and granite slabs. The total height is 150 inches.Public Monuments and Sculpture Association
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Development

The statue was commissioned by the then Business Press International Ltd, and upkeep of the work now falls to
Reed Business Information RELX plc (pronounced "Rel-ex") is a British multinational information and analytics company headquartered in London, England. Its businesses provide scientific, technical and medical information and analytics; legal information and analytics; ...
, who occupy Quadrant House. It was a major commission for Wynne, which took four years from his first idea and inspiration on receipt of the brief through roughing out, refining and foundry to the final unveiling and installation. The brief given to him by the company was to illustrate the fundamental business of the company, namely communication, but to convey the ''idea'', rather than simply to represent the work of the company in a direct or very obvious way. Wynne had to consider what actual form the sculpture would take to best capture the idea of communication. When inspiration came to him, it did so "like a flash of light, complete", as he put it: As part of his preparation, Wynne visited Italy to see the
Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius The ''Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius'' (, ) is an ancient Roman equestrian statue on the Capitoline Hill, Rome, Italy. It is made of bronze and stands 4.24 m (13.9 ft) tall. Although the emperor is mounted, it exhibits many similari ...
in Rome and the
Horses of Saint Mark The Horses of Saint Mark ( it, Cavalli di San Marco), also known as the Triumphal Quadriga or Horses of the Hippodrome of Constantinople, is a set of bronze statues of four horses, originally part of a monument depicting a quadriga (a four-horse ...
in Venice. In his introductory essay in the book ''The Messenger'', Lucius Noël notes Wynne's dislike for statues where the horse is shown as merely the support for the rider. Noël notes the way that Wynne highlights the interrelationship between horse and rider in the work, as he did in his previous two horse and rider sculptures. While noting the greater reality in the work than its two equestrian predecessors, he stresses the strong symbolism in the work. He writes: Noël notes how this analysis ties in with Wynne's wider views about animals, saying "We must share the Earth with the animals, who have as much right to it as we do. To find a way to live in peace with the animals is our duty.".


Location

The company had initially considered that the work should be installed high up, above the entrance lobby. However, Wynne advised against this, feeling that the distance created would militate against the engagement he wanted people to have with the work. It would be perceived as two-dimensional, depriving people of the full three-dimensions they would feel by walking around it. So the statue was installed at ground level in front of the entrance to the building, enabling people to get close up to it. Describing his thoughts moments before the unveiling, David Wynne wrote in his 1982 book ''The Messenger'':


See also

*
Sutton twin towns mural The Sutton Twin towns mural is a large mural in the form of seven individual paintings situated in Sutton High Street in the town of Sutton in Greater London, England. It is one of six works of public art in Sutton town centre. Design and loca ...
*
Sutton armillary The Millennium Dial Armillary is one of six pieces of public art located in the town centre of Sutton in Greater London, England. The others include the Sutton heritage mosaic, the Sutton twin towns mural and the Messenger statue. The armilla ...
* '' Sutton Heritage Mosaic''


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Messenger, The 1981 sculptures Equestrian statues in the United Kingdom Statues in London Sculptures of men in the United Kingdom Sutton, London Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Sutton Outdoor sculptures in London