GENEROUS DONATION TO WELWYN VILLAGE OF A VAN GOGH BUST BY AWARD-WINNING SCULPTOR, ANTHONY PADGETT
The Offer – almost rejected.
Vincent Van Gogh’s sister Anna lived and worked in Welwyn, (Miss Applegarth’s School in Forge Lane) and her brother walked a 100-mile journey to visit her here in June 1876 and there are plaques in the village to commemorate that journey.
Copyright Anthony Padgett
In February 2018 year, sculptor, artist and author, Anthony Padgett wrote to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Councillors, and other official organisations, generously offering a cold-cast bust of Vincent Van Gogh.to match similar offers made to other areas associated with Van Gogh’s life and travels in Belgium, France and England.
But the Welwyn Invitation almost went off the rails because Mr Padgett’s email to our local Councillors went without acknowledgement or reply!
Thankfully the Chairman of the Welwyn Garden City Society, Will Davis, recognised that the historical connection was in fact with Welwyn village and, after contacting WPAG’s Project Manager Sandra Kyriakides and receiving an emphatic assurance of our interest, he immediately gave Anthony Padgett contact details for Sandra and the Welwyn Plannng & Amenity Group.
The Sculptor and his Project
During 2017, Mr Padgett studied the legacy of Van Gogh, then created a sculpture and 67 oil paintings to parallel and contrast Van Gogh’s life with his own.
The key work of the project was an award winning sculpture based on a detailed analysis of all Van Gogh’s self-portraits. Everyone has an idea of what Van Gogh looked like although all the many images of him differ. Anthony Padgett attempts to balance many of the different elements. The sculpture has been praised by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam as “very remarkable indeed.”
Action This Day
Without delay, Sandra contacted Anthony Padgett to confirm Welwyn’s interest and subsequently set up liaison between him and Welwyn Parish Council Chairman, Bill Morris.
From then on, it has been “All Systems Go” and the official unveiling ceremony of the Van Gogh bust will take place on Saturday 30th June 2018
Welwyn is extremely fortunate to have such an appropriate sculpture to add to its many Heritage sites of public interest.
Unveiling Ceremony – Saturday 30th June 2018 – Bridge Cottage Surgery
An unveiling ceremony is to take place in front of Bridge Cottage Surgery in Welwyn High Street by Mrs Marion Brown MBE, JP, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire,
The ceremony commences at 1030 am followed by a Reception at the Civic Centre hosted by the Welwyn Parish Council.
Welwyn Parish Council – Press Release
Unveiling ceremony of the Van Gogh bust on Saturday 30th June 2018
The ceremony for the unveiling of the Van Gogh sculpture by Mrs Marion Brown MBE JP Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire will take place on Saturday 30th June 2018.
The ceremony will begin from at 10.30am at the ford area of the River Mimram in the High Street (in front of the Bridge Cottage Surgery opposite the High Street Car Park), where the Chairman of Welwyn Parish Council, Cllr Bill Morris, will say a few words, followed by the artist, Anthony Padgett.
The official ceremony will take place at 11am when Mrs Marion Brown will officially unveil the sculpture.
Following the ceremony, everyone is invited to move to the Civic Centre in Prospect Place for refreshments and an opportunity to view up close a copy of the sculpture.
The sculpture has been donated by the artist Anthony Padgett who has made a number of cold-cast busts of Vincent Van Gogh which he has donated to areas associated with the artist life (including Belgium, France and England). In 1876 Van Gogh walked 100 miles from Ramsgate to Welwyn to visit his sister Anna who lived in the village.