All About London: Antony Gormley and Barbara Hepworth sculptures listed

Friday 22 January 2016

Antony Gormley and Barbara Hepworth sculptures listed

An Antony Gormley sculpture has been given Grade II protected status - his first to be listed.

It is one of 41 pieces of post-war public art in England newly protected by the government.

The list also includes three works by Barbara Hepworth and one by Henry Moore, opposite Parliament in London.

The Antony Gormley sculpture in Maygrove Peace Park

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Heritage minister Tracey Crouch said: "Not only are they magnificent sculptures but they are also an important part of our history."

The bright red work of art (and 40 others) now protected

'Precious national collection'

Gormley's Untitled [Listening] in Camden, north London, was one of the artist's first public sculpture commissions and dates back to 1984.

The work, in Maygrove Peace Park, shows a human figure sat on a boulder, cupping an ear. It was commissioned by Camden Council to show its commitment to peace, with the park opened on the anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.

Winged Figure by Barbara Hepworth, 1963 - Oxford Street, London. Single Form (Memorial) by Barbara Hepworth, 1961-62 - Battersea Park, London. — Image captionBarbara Hepworth's Winged Figure, left, and Single Form (Memorial)

The Henry Moore sculpture near the Houses of Parliament — Image captionKnife Edge Two Piece by Henry Moore

Hepworth's Winged Figure, on London's Oxford Street, and Single Form (Memorial) in Battersea Park, London, have been given Grade II* status, with Rosewall (Curved Reclining Form) in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, given Grade II listing.

The Oxford Street work was designed to make people "feel airborne in rain and sunlight", she said, with the Battersea Park sculpture being her response to the death of a friend.

Knife Edge Two Piece, an abstract bronze sculpture by Henry Moore which can be found opposite the Houses of Parliament, has also been listed.

The 41 sculptures reflect life in the years following the war, with themes including industry, family and play. There is also a work commemorating children killed in the Blitz.

A Celebration of Engineering Sciences by Allen Johnson, 1963 - University of Leeds. — Image captionA Celebration of Engineering Sciences by Allen Johnson, part of the Mechanical Engineering Building at the University of Leeds

London Pride by Frank Dobson — Image captionFrank Dobson's London Pride, on London's South Bank, was commissioned for the Festival of Britain

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport made the listings on advice from Historic England.

Roger Bowdler, the body's director of listing, said: "These sculptures were commissioned and created for everybody and have become a precious national collection of art which we can all share.

"They enrich our lives, bring art to everyone and deserve celebration. We have worked with the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, Tate, and the Twentieth Century Society throughout this project to ensure our most special public art is protected and continues to enhance our public spaces."

Fifteen of the newly-listed works are outside of London, including three in Harlow, Essex, which has become known as the Sculpture Town.

A map has been made showing the locations of all of the sculptures.