Gallos sculpture

Gallos is a 8 feet (2.4 m) tall bronze sculpture by Rubin Eynon located at Tintagel Castle /tɪnˈtædʒəl/ (Cornish: Dintagel) a medieval fortification located on the peninsula of Tintagel Island adjacent to the village of Tintagel (Trevena), North Cornwall in the United Kingdom. It depicts in bronze a ghostly male figure wearing a crown and holding a sword. Although popularly described as the "King Arthur statue", the site's owner English Heritage state that it is not meant to depict a single person and reflects the general history of the site, which was a likely summer residence for the kings of Dumnonia.

Gallos sculpture
Gallos
Location in England
Coordinates50°40′07.6″N 4°45′48.7″W
LocationTintagel Castle[1]
DesignerRubin Eynon
MaterialBronze
Height8 ft (2.4 m)
Beginning date2015
Opening dateApril 29, 2016 (2016-04-29)
Dedicated toKing Arthur
WebsiteWebsite

Background
Wider view of the sculpture

Tintagel Castle is sited on the north coast of Cornwall, operated by English Heritage.[2] The writings of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth associated the castle with the King Arthur legend, placing it as the home of Arthur's mother Igraine. The castle itself was constructed by Richard, Earl of Cornwall in the 1230s, inspired by the association with Arthur the castle was styled to appear older. It was expanded in the Victorian era.[3][4]

Sculpture
Rear of the sculpture

Gallos was commissioned by English Heritage from the sculptor Rubin Eynon.[2][5] It took six months to design, sculpt and cast.[3] Gallos depicts in bronze a figure 8 feet (2.4 m) tall in a cloak, resting on a sword and wearing a crown.[4] The figure is only partly rendered with open gaps left in the sculpture through which the viewer can see the landscape beyond, giving a ghostly appearance.[6]

The sculpture has become a popular attraction at the castle site.[7] The statue has been popularly associated with Arthur and has commonly become known as the "King Arthur Statue" [4][3] However English Heritage state it is not a depiction of a single person and is inspired by the likely use of the site as a summer residence for the kings of the Sub-Roman state of Dumnonia as well as the Arthurian legend.[4] They prefer that the viewer makes their own interpretation of the work and conisder that the sculpture represents something more than a human.[4][8] The name "Gallos", is Cornish for "power".[4] The statue is located above cliffs on the Atlantic coast-side of the castle.[5] The site is only accessible from the mainland by hundreds of steps and the statue was positioned by helicopter.[4][3][9] It was unveiled on 29 April 2016, ahead of the bank holiday weekend.[4]

Controversy

The sculpture was installed by English Heritage as part of a new visitor experience on the site.[10] An earlier sculpture, a rock carving depicting Merlin had been criticised by Cornish nationalists and historians for "Disneyfication" of the history of the site and Gallos also raised similar questions.[4][10]

The scheme also saw the installation of a stone compass pointing to other locations across the British Isles associated with the Arthurian legends and stepping stones in the castle garden telling the story of Tristan and Iseult.[2] A number of information panels were also installed, telling the history of the castle site.[10] The materials used in the new development: bronze, Delabole slate and other stone are inspired by Tintagel's industrial history.[2][6]

References
  •  Cornwall portal
  1. Schaap, Rosie (June 27, 2017). "The Weird, Mystic Pull of Southwest England". The New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  2. "History meets Legend at Tintagel Castle". English Heritage. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  3. "Gallos - King Arthur Sculpture". Cornwall Guide. January 27, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  4. Morris, Steven (April 24, 2016). "Kingly statue plunges sword into Tintagel's Arthurian row". The Guardian. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  5. Stewart, Jessica (May 9, 2017). "8-Foot-Tall Bronze Sculpture of King Arthur Overlooks the Atlantic Ocean". My Modern Met. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  6. Smith, Graham (August 22, 2017). "What do you think of Gallos, the new sculpture at Tintagel Castle?". CornwallLive. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  7. Williams, Howard; Clarke, Pauline Magdalene (May 31, 2020). Digging into the Dark Ages : early medieval public archaeologies. Oxford: Archaeopress Access Archaeology. p. 133. ISBN 978-1789695274. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  8. Anderson, Andrew (July 1, 2021). Artio and Artaois a journey towards the Celtic bear gods. Winchester: Moon Books. ISBN 978-1789044621. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  9. Stewart, Jessica (May 9, 2017). "8-Foot-Tall Bronze Sculpture of King Arthur Overlooks the Atlantic Ocean". My Modern Met. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  10. "Controversial King Arthur statue revealed at Tintagel". ITV News. April 25, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
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