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Perseus ready to fly again

St. Modwen, the UKs leading regeneration specialist and owner and operator of the Trentham Estate, has been bowled over by news that Perseus will be on show at one of most celebrated and significant art exhibitions in the country this year. It is exactly 165 years since he first arrived at The Trentham Estate in Stoke-on-Trent. But Perseus is once again set to take flight - this time, to London, to be part of the Royal Academy of Arts major Autumn exhibition, Bronze. The exhibition is set to run from September 15th to December 9th in the Main Galleries of the Royal Academy. One of the most impressive, and important, pieces of sculpture in the West Midlands, Perseus With The Head Of Medusa is a true copy of the original statue by the Italian master Benvenuto Cellini, cast in Florence between 1548 and 1550, and was made on the order of the 2nd Duke of Sutherland around 1840. The Trentham bronze is the only copy of Cellini's masterpiece, and demonstrates like no other work in this country the 19th centurys fascination with the Florentine High Renaissance. Bronze at the Royal Academy of Arts will run from September 15th to December 9th. The exhibition is set to bring together for the first time outstanding pieces from the earliest times, to the present. Spanning five millennia, the exhibition will show the best bronzes from Asia, Africa and Europe. Highlights will include stunningly beautiful Ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan bronzes, recent discoveries, medieval treasures and Renaissance and modern masterpieces, all made in the enduring medium of bronze. Trying to put it into some kind of context, Michael Walker, Manager of Trenthams Gardens Parkland and Estate, explains: Whats most significant about Perseus is not simply the association with the Italian sculptor Benvenuto Cellini, and its sheer size, but also its positioning at Trentham. Sitting on a pedestal, surrounded by stone columns designed by Sir Charles Barry, Perseus stands prominently between Capability Browns mile-long lake, some quintessentially English countryside, and Charles Barrys vast Italian Garden. The Trentham Estates owners, the Duke & Duchess of Sutherland were extraordinarily wealthy and engaged Sir Charles Barry (who went to create the House of Commons) to transform Capability Browns natural landscape into what was later described as The Versailles of the Midlands. The 2nd Duke had a strong friendship with the Duke of Tuscany; and the casting of Perseus coincided with the improvements being made to the hall and gardens. The terrace at the top of the lake was specially planned and prepared by Charles Barry to receive the statue, which was erected in its current position in the Italian Garden in 1847. The Sutherlands stopped using Trentham as one of their homes at the turn of the century, and Trentham Hall was demolished in 1911 after which the family opened the Estate as Trentham Gardens Pleasure Park in the 1920s. It is understood that the Perseus statue had already been removed to Sutton Place following the purchase of that property by the Duke in 1918. The statue was returned to Trentham by the Countess of Sutherland in 1966.
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The Sutherlands continued to run Trentham Gardens until 1979. Ownership then changed hands a couple of times before St. Modwen purchased the whole 725 acre estate in 1996. By that time Trentham had become extremely run down with many parts in a virtual derelict condition, but St. Modwen has undertaken a huge programme of restoration and regeneration. The statue was in a very poor condition when St. Modwen took over ownership of the Estate, and on the advice of English Heritage Rupert Harris Conservation was employed to undertake a full report on the condition and recommend the conservation works required. The statue was taken to his studios in London prior to the formal reopening of the Gardens in May 2004. Mike Herbert, Regional Director for St. Modwen, recalls visiting the studios at the early stages of restoration: I got into a London cab as I left the building and telephoned the office, saying Theres a massive hole in his leg and his right arm has been taken off, but he should be alright. You should have seen the taxi drivers face! Almost half a Million people every year now flock to the Italian Gardens at Trentham, where Perseus is a striking figure at the head of the lake. Bronze at the Royal Academy of Arts will run from September 2012. Before then, of course, theres a small matter of removing the gigantic, 3.7-metres tall statue from The Trentham Estate, and transporting him down to London. Visitors to Trentham have from now until the end of August to see Perseus, before he makes a triumphant and god-like reappearance at the end of the year. For further details, visit www.trentham.co.uk.
-ENDSFor all media information, photo-opportunities and images, please contact: Amanda Dawson Tel: 01782 657341 E-mail: adawson@trentham.co.uk For further press information on Bronze at the Royal Academy of Arts, please contact: Johanna Bennett, RA Press Office: tel. 020 7300 5615, e-mail: press.office@royalacademy.org.uk Notes to editors: The Trentham Estate, on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, offers one of the UKs most diverse days out with a range of leisure activities for all ages. Owned by St. Modwen Properties PLC, the UKs leading regeneration specialist, the 725-acre Estate - which was previously owned for over 400 years by the Dukes of Sutherland - has undergone a massive regeneration programme over the last eight years. It boasts the famous Trentham Gardens, including the very important Italianate Gardens designed by Charles Barry in the 1830s that have been lovingly restored using top landscape designers. The gardens feature the UKs first barefoot walk, a great childrens adventure play area and maze and a beautiful walk around the mile long lake; the Trentham Garden Centre and Shopping Village, an eclectic mix of shops and eateries; Trentham Monkey Forest home to 140 endangered Barbary Macaques; Aerial Extreme, an exhilarating treetop high rope adventure course, and a 119 bedroom Premier Inn hotel. For full details of all Trenthams attractions, events, opening times and prices visit www.trentham.co.uk. Bronze at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, runs from 15 September 9 December 2012 The Royal Academy of Arts was founded by George III in 1768. It has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to be a clear, strong voice for art and artists. Its public programme promotes the creation, enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate.