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Perfect is very boring, and if you happen to have a different look, that’s a celebration of human nature, I think. If we were all symmetrical and perfect, life would be very dull.
The Removal of the William Wallace Statue in Stirling,
A grand memorial to Scottish hero William Wallace the 13 foot, 12 ton sandstone “Freedom” statue created by Tom Church once dominated the parking lot of The National Wallace Monument in Stirling.
A historically accurate depiction of William Wallace, “Freedom” was hand chiseled by Tom Church in 1997 after watching the film Braveheart. Immediately upon unveiling, Church and his statue immediately came under fire by critics, who claimed that the statue did not look like the historical figure William Wallace, but more like Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Wallace from Braveheart. Others claimed that the statue itself looked utterly ridiculous, and was not worthy for a place at the Wallace National Monument. I myself do not see any resemblance to Mel Gibson, and obviously many simply cannot see the artistry, craftsmanship, and historicity of this grand monument.
“Freedom” came under physical attack from historical revisionists, postmodernist vandals, and those who wish to erase or re-write Scottish history, resulting in the park placing a protective cage around the statue. Finally the Wallace National Monument decided to removed the statue in 2008, claiming they needed the space in order to expand their visitor center and restaurant. Of course, it was evident that the statue was removed for political reasons. The statue was returned to it’s sculptor, Eric Church, who remains in possession of it to this day.
I’d have to say that this travesty of a statue looks far more like this:
Than it does like any other artist’s renditions of William Wallce that more often portray him like this:
Also fun fact: there is basically nothing Scottish about the National Wallace Monument, mostly due to the rise of Scottish nationalism in the 2nd half of the 19th century that left the British government uneasy
The architecture is french gothic, the statues are romanesque and theres no real scottish cultural imagery on the building
Probably the only thing Scottish about the monument is the fact that it is made of Sandstone
Its also very important to mention that amongst the harshest critics of the statue were historians at the University of Stirling (which sits in the shadow of the monument). I minor Scottish medieval history there, and at least one lecturer has disparaged the statue’s accuracy. But not only that, the local people of Stirling and Bridge of Allan also hated it, thus the protection it needed.
I mean, for got sake, it has BRAVEHEART written on the shield
The Removal of the William Wallace Statue in Stirling,
A grand memorial to Scottish hero William Wallace the 13 foot, 12 ton sandstone “Freedom” statue created by Tom Church once dominated the parking lot of The National Wallace Monument in Stirling.
A historically accurate depiction of William Wallace, “Freedom” was hand chiseled by Tom Church in 1997 after watching the film Braveheart. Immediately upon unveiling, Church and his statue immediately came under fire by critics, who claimed that the statue did not look like the historical figure William Wallace, but more like Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Wallace from Braveheart. Others claimed that the statue itself looked utterly ridiculous, and was not worthy for a place at the Wallace National Monument. I myself do not see any resemblance to Mel Gibson, and obviously many simply cannot see the artistry, craftsmanship, and historicity of this grand monument.
“Freedom” came under physical attack from historical revisionists, postmodernist vandals, and those who wish to erase or re-write Scottish history, resulting in the park placing a protective cage around the statue. Finally the Wallace National Monument decided to removed the statue in 2008, claiming they needed the space in order to expand their visitor center and restaurant. Of course, it was evident that the statue was removed for political reasons. The statue was returned to it’s sculptor, Eric Church, who remains in possession of it to this day.
I’d have to say that this travesty of a statue looks far more like this:
Than it does like any other artist’s renditions of William Wallce that more often portray him like this:
Also fun fact: there is basically nothing Scottish about the National Wallace Monument, mostly due to the rise of Scottish nationalism in the 2nd half of the 19th century that left the British government uneasy
The architecture is french gothic, the statues are romanesque and theres no real scottish cultural imagery on the building
Probably the only thing Scottish about the monument is the fact that it is made of Sandstone
Its also very important to mention that amongst the harshest critics of the statue were historians at the University of Stirling (which sits in the shadow of the monument). I minor Scottish medieval history there, and at least one lecturer has disparaged the statue’s accuracy. But not only that, the local people of Stirling and Bridge of Allan also hated it, thus the protection it needed.
There’s a moment before Margaery and the High Sparrow die when they look at each other and Margaery realizes that Cersei has outplayed him and she’s gonna die because of that. There’s this moment that Jonathan Pryce gives as well; this look on his face when he realizes he’s been outplayed by Cersei. Margaery is a fatality of the High Sparrow underestimating Cersei.— Natalie Dormer for Harper’s Bazaar (June 2016)
