Public Art in Ipswich

• David Annand
• 2011
• Bronze
• Curson Plain

On Charter Day, 29 June 2011 at noon a memorial of Ipswich's most famous son, Thomas Wolsey was unveiled.  It features a seated, teaching statue on Curson Plain at the corner of Silent Street. 

The cast bronze likeness by David Annand of Fife will be the focus of Tudor and Wolsey tours in the town where he was born. Although he was a great statesman, churchman and lawyer, he wanted to show him as the forward-looking educationalist and experienced teacher that he was. His instruction for those who taught in schools was:

'Pleasure is to mingle with study, that the child may think learning rather an amusement than a toil. Tender youth is to suffer neither severe thrashings nor sour and threatening looks, nor any kind of tyranny, for by such usage the fire of genius is either extinguished or in great measure damped.'

The project was funded by a number of events and donations from individuals, trusts, charities, societies and a section 106 agreement.

The commission was advertised nationally and attracted submissions from over 50 artists.  Five of these were shortlisted and asked to present their ideas.  David Annand was successful in this process by working with the patrons to produce an attractive seated statue - complete with cat - apparently Wolsey was a cat lover and always had one by his side.

Other Public Art nearby: Town Centre and Christchurch Park.