Detail View: SHIMMER: Mercury

Title: 
Mercury
Creation Date: 
1856
Image Date: 
1879
Period: 
19th century
Location: 
Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Country: 
ENGLAND, UK
Material: 
bronze
Display Creator: 
GIAMBOLOGNA (after)
Image ID: 
00-0794
Description: 
View of sculpture on top of the building, Baxtergate and High Street.

Description: Replica of celebrated sculpture by GIAMBOLOGNA. Nude figure of the 'winged messenger'. He is wearing a winged broad brimmed hat and carries a staff on his left arm, while the right hand points to the sky.
An identical casting is to be found above Bradford & Bingley Offices, High Street, Sheffield - see < http://shimmer.shu.ac.uk/luna/servlet/s/txvm9z > for details.
The same statue is also used at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire, as part of the Royal Corps of Signals Memorial.

Commission: York City and County Bank. (Messrs.Demaine and Brierley of York were the architects; Messrs. Anelay and Sons of Doncaster, the builders). Cost of building was £10,000. Plans for the building are held at the Doncaster Archives however they have no information on the statues. Beside the bank, the building also incorporated offices on High Street for a stockbroker, R.E.Clark, who had previously occupied a building on the site, and a shop on Baxtergate, which was subsequently used by the Home and Colonial Tea Co. [1]

Comment: Mercury was the god of trade, as well as being the messenger of the gods. In 1912 the bank amalgamated with the London Joint Stock Bank and in 1921 a further amalgamation created the London Joint City and Midland Bank, which soon became the Midland Bank. In the late 1990's this was taken over and became the HSBC.

References: [1] e-mail from Helen Wallder at Doncaster Local Studies Library. 17th January 2003.

Rights: 
© Sheffield Hallam University
Permissions: 
For educational use only. This image may be used in print or digital materials provided that full acknowledgment is given, expressed as follows: " © < insert details from the 'Rights' field >. Photographed by < insert details from the 'Photographed by' field >."
Image Storage Location: 
http://helios.shu.ac.uk/00-0794.tif
Photographed by: 
Dave Ball
Creator: 
LANE & LEWIS
Creator Dates - Active: 
19th century
Creator Role: 
Manufacturers. Based in Birmingham.
Nationality: 
British.
Creator: 
GIAMBOLOGNA
Creator Dates - Born: 
1529
Creator Dates - Died: 
1608
Creator Role: 
Sculptor.
Culture Gender: 
Male.
Nationality: 
Flemish. Worked in Italy.
Subject Heading: 
Public art -- England (South Yorkshire)
Subject Heading: 
Mythology, Classical, in art.
Subject Heading: 
Sculpture, British -- 1800-1900
Subject Heading: 
Neoclassicism (Art)