'Boring' lion has no place as mane attraction says expert

Published on Friday 1 February 2008 09:23

A LEADING art professional has privately urged MSPs to resist growing pressure to keep the iconic Lion of Scotland sculpture, claiming it should not be kept just because the public like it.

Richard Calvocoressi, the former director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, who serves on the Scottish Parliament's art advisory group, said the 20-tonne lion by Edinburgh sculptor Ronald Rae was not up to the standard required for the parliament grounds.

He said public opinion should not be allowed to overrule "artistic judgement", and branded Mr Rae's work "lifeless" and "boring". He added: "I can't think of a better home for the sculpture than a Yorkshire business park."

But his comments were condemned by MSPs as snobbish and out of touch. Calls for the lion to be sited by the parliament have previously been rejected by the art advisory group.

But yesterday the Evening News revealed MSPs newly appointed to the group were sympathetic to keeping the sculpture once the current exhibition of Mr Rae's work in Holyrood Park comes to an end.

But in a note to the group, Mr Calvocoressi, now head of the Henry Moore Foundation, said: "I feel strongly we should stick to our original decision and not be pressurised.

"There are so many more interesting an innovative artists working in Scotland.

"Where outdoor public art is concerned, there is always a danger popular sentiment will obscure artistic judgement."

Edinburgh West Liberal Democrat MSP Margaret Smith, who has long campaigned for the lion to be sited at the parliament, said: "This guy is completely out of touch. The lion is a fabulous piece of outdoor art, it's the symbol of Scotland and people relate to it and enjoy it. The parliament is an ideal site for it."

SNP MSP Christine Grahame, who has also campaigned to keep the lion, said Mr Calvocoressi's attitude seemed to be "Lots of people like it, it must be bad".

She said: "This is a people's parliament and the lion is a people's sculpture. Never mind high art, this is high artistic snobbery. I think he will make people even more supportive of the lion because of the tone of his letter."

The sculptor himself was furious at Mr Calvocoressi's comments. Mr Rae said: "How can he have the arrogance to say the public don't know anything about art? I was absolutely incensed by his statements. He is presuming to be an arbiter of public taste.

"I think a lot of people will be really insulted by this. I've been encouraged by all the messages of support I've had from people who want the lion to stay there."