The first time I ever remember taking a pilgrimage to find a statue was in Scotland in 1985. I had read somewhere that Henry Moore’s “King and Queen” sat in a field in the middle of nowhere in Dumfrieshire. The only thing I had was the name of a town and the fact that the statues overlooked a reservoir.
It was midafternoon when we reac hed the town, but no one we asked seemed to know anything about the statues. We drove for hours in the backcountry, with lovely vistas and dramatic countryside, but no statues. Finally, we decided to give it one last try up a side road and whammo! In a field, unmarked and unguarded, were the royal couple, (made at the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation) gazing out in the distance. I jumped out of the car and began taking pictures. It was just them and me, and the time of day made them black against the sky.
Gradually, as the sun was already set, I became aware of a massive soft “chirking” sound behind me. I turned to see a field full of pheasant grazing our way. Life was complete and I was well and truly hooked. The match to this piece, the other of the first two castings, I learned, is outdoors in Belgium. I’d love to hunt it down someday, though I have a feeling it’s much better marked. And as I researched this note, I find that there are two other pieces by him around the same reservoir. Reason enough to return there!
This was my introduction to sculpture pilgrimage that I’ve followed ever since. Having a statue as a goal makes for rich, layered experience in traveling anywhere.
(photo from the Henry Moore Foundation website)
10:42:01 AM 
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