A person’s faith has been the inspiration for many great works of art. This modern sculpture captures an image of Saint Cuthbert (635-687); a Christian saint to whom the Lindisfarne Gospels were written in his honour.
The Durham sculptor, Fenwick Lawson, worked with a piece of elm tree from the grounds of Durham Cathedral. The completed work stood in the Cathedral’s Cloisters for many years. It was acquired by the Northern Rock Foundation and a bronze cast was placed in the grounds of Lindisfarne Priory. With the approval of the sculptor, the Foundation donated the original wood carving to the Museum in 2004.
The sculpture reflects the thinking of the Venerable Bede that Saint Cuthbert was a man of peace with a respect for the natural world and the wonders of God’s creation. The carving is not a portrait but a figure echoing the landscape of the Farnes in the rhythm of the sea and the rocks, with an eider duck nestling at his feet.
By Dr Fenwick Lawson ARCA, Hon D Litt (b.1932)
On display in the garden of the Durham Heritage Centre and Museum, Durham.
www.durhamheritagecentre.org.uk
