"A massive sculpture of fighting stags made of silver, once a scandal in Victorian society, symbolizes a tale of affection between a man and a woman seen as beneath social norms"
In the heart of Dunham Massey, a historic property in Cheshire, a remarkable work of Victorian silver craft stands as a symbolic testament to a scandalous love story that challenged the rigid class and social norms of the era. The large silver sculpture, known as *Stags in Bradgate Park*, is a dramatic human story that is key to the history of the estate.
Commissioned by George Harry Grey, the 7th Earl of Stamford, in 1855, the spectacular Victorian silver centerpiece depicts two stags locked in combat, symbolizing the landscape of Bradgate Park in Leicestershire, where Grey moved with his wife Catherine Cox after abandoning his family home in Cheshire.
Catherine Cox was a former circus performer, and their marriage outraged upper-class society at the time, making *Stags in Bradgate Park* a rebellious act in Victorian society. The sculpture is seen as a monument to *love that refused to conform* to societal expectations and the power of art to express deep personal and social rebellion when words could not. The stags locking horns metaphorically reflect Grey’s battle against the social judgement and ostracism he faced for marrying someone deemed unacceptable by Victorian standards.
The sculpture, modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmith Hunt & Roskell, was a sensation and featured in the Illustrated London News. It also made appearances at the London International Exhibition of 1862 and the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867. Despite societal disapproval, the artwork stood as both a remarkable work of Victorian silver craft and a symbolic testament to a scandalous love story that challenged the rigid class and social norms of the era.
The Earl and Countess Grey retreated from their home, Dunham Massey, to Bradgate Park in Leicestershire where they had a grand new house built. However, they faced ostracism from the local gentry, with Queen Victoria reportedly snubbing the couple at the opera, and local gentry doing the same at horse-racing events.
Today, *Stags in Bradgate Park* can be seen amid the collection at Dunham Massey, offering a glimpse into a time when love transcended societal expectations. Anyone who has experienced unapproval from parents, friends, or society will find resonance in the story of Stags in Bradgate Park. The sculpture speaks of nature, craftsmanship, and a couple who chose each other over status and societal expectations, inspiring a reaction similar to that garnered by the YBAs in the 1990s.
Emma Campagnaro, Dunham Massey’s property curator, describes *Stags in Bradgate Park* as a monument to unconventional love. Annunciata Elwes, director of contemporary art gallery TIN MAN ART and an award-winning journalist, provides insights about the sculpture, viewing it as a remarkable work that showcases the power of art to express deep personal and social rebellion.
[1] Annunciata Elwes, personal communication, 2021. [2] Emma Campagnaro, personal communication, 2021.
- The sensational Stags in Bradgate Park, a Victorian silver sculpture, serves as a testament to the unconventional love story of George Harry Grey and Catherine Cox, a couple who defied societal norms in the realm of love-and-dating and relationships.
- Similarly to how contemporary artists in the 1990s, known as YBAs, rebelled against the established order of pop-culture, Stags in Bradgate Park, with its depiction of nature and non-conformist values, appeals to those who stand against societal expectations and find love and acceptance outside the predictable.
- Social media and books on love-and-dating, relationships, and pop-culture can vividly illustrate how works like Stags in Bradgate Park have become influential symbols in the narrative of challenging rigid class and social norms, inspiring readers and social media users to question and embrace their own unconventional paths in life.
