Misplaced Pages

Equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce, Bannockburn

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Statue in Scotland

Equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce
The statue in 2014
ArtistPilkington Jackson
Year1964 (1964)
MediumBronze sculpture
LocationBannockburn
Coordinates56°05′38″N 3°56′19″W / 56.093812°N 3.938562°W / 56.093812; -3.938562

The equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce at the Bannockburn Visitor Centre, Bannockburn, Stirling, is a 1964 work by Pilkington Jackson.

Description

The bronze sculpture depicts Robert the Bruce wielding an axe and on a war horse. The statue stands on a plinth that bears the inscription "ROBERT THE BRUCE KING OF SCOTS 1306–1329". It is located near the site of the Battle of Bannockburn. The statue is a A listed building.

History

Replica statue in CalgaryStatue pre-restoration, 2008

The statue was commissioned by the Earl of Elgin in 1964 to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. It was sculpted by Pilkington Jackson using the measurements of Bruce's skull, re-discovered at Dunfermline Abbey in 1818, and cast in Cheltenham by H.H. Martyn & Co. The statue was unveiled by the Queen.

In 1966, a replica of the statue was placed outside the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The statue was funded by Canadian lawyer Eric Harvie.

From 2009 to 2020, the statue featured on the Clydesdale Bank £20 note.

In 2013, the statue was restored in preparation for the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn in 2014. The statue which was cast in bronze was slowly turning green. Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said "The Robert the Bruce statue is an iconic part of the Bannockburn site, and a poignant reminder of the battle".

On 11 June 2020, following the actions against memorials in Great Britain during the George Floyd protests, the statue was defaced with graffiti. The Scottish king was branded as a racist, despite not being involved in the slave trade. Stirling MP Alyn Smith said “I’ve been vocal in my support of #BlackLivesMatter and hope such counterproductive stupidity is an isolated incident.”

See also

References

  1. ^ "Robert the Bruce statue returned to Bannockburn battle site". BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  2. "Robert The Bruce Statue, Borestone Brae, Bannockburn". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  3. "Robert the Bruce, Bannockburn". Equestrian Statues. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  4. The Best,HH Martyn and Co, John Whitaker, pp. 118-131
  5. "A very Canadian sort of hero? Robert the Bruce alias The Outlaw King at the Toronto International Film Festival". Broomhall. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  6. "From the archives: Who is Robert the Bruce and why does a statue of him overlook Calgary?". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  7. "Robert the Bruce, Calgary". Equestrian Statues. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  8. "Calgary's statue of Robert the Bruce re-dedicated on the 700th anniversary of Battle of Bannockburn" (PDF). www.rbana.org. Robert Burns Association of British North America. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  9. White, Ryan. "Calgary's statue of Robert the Bruce re-dedicated on 700th anniversary of Battle of Bannockburn". Calgary. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  10. *"Fears Robert the Bruce will be removed from banknotes in Clydesdale merger". The National. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  11. "Robert the Bruce to get a face-lift ahead of Battle of Bannockburn celebrations". Daily Record. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  12. "Robert the Bruce statue at Bannockburn daubed with Black Lives Matter graffiti". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  13. "Bannockburn Robert the Bruce statue daubed "racist king" in graffiti attack". Daily Record. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  14. "Why has Robert the Bruce been branded a racist?". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  15. "Robert the Bruce statue at Bannockburn defaced by 'BLM' graffiti". The National. Retrieved 7 July 2021.


Stub icon

This article about a sculpture in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: