Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Sculpture over 200 years old vandalized with blue crayon

Blue crayon scrawlings were discovered on the Sabrina statue on Easter Saturday. The statue was designed in the 18th century. (Photo: National Trust) Blue crayon scrawlings were discovered on the Sabrina statue on Easter Saturday. The statue was designed in the 18th century. (Photo: National Trust)
Share

A statue more than 200 years old of the water nymph Sabrina has been vandalized with blue crayon, British conservation charity the National Trust said in a statement.

The damaged sculpture in Worcestershire, western England, was first discovered on Easter Saturday but after taking advice from conservators and cleaning the statue, the National Trust was able to remove the crayon on Thursday morning, it added.

A memorial to landscape designer and architect Lancelot "Capability" Brown, also situated in the grounds of the historic Croome estate, was similarly vandalized with blue crayon and the National Trust said it is still in the process of cleaning it.

"We are dismayed that this has happened," a National Trust spokesperson said in a statement to CNN Friday. "Disappointing as they are, incidents like this are very rare considering the millions of visitors who enjoy and respect the places in our care."

Designed by renowned British sculptor John Bacon in the early 1770s, the statue of Sabrina is carved from Coade stone and sits in a grotto that was originally decorated with exotic shells, coral and gems, beside an artificial serpentine lake 1.5 miles long.

The date of the sculpture's manufacture is disputed, although it is believed to be either mid-1780s or 1802, according to the National Trust.

The Croome estate, where both monuments were vandalized, was owned by the Coventry family from the 16th century until 1948. It has served many functions beyond being a private house, becoming a secret airbase in World War II and the Hare Krishna UK headquarters in 1979.

Although it is unusual for historic monuments to be defaced, it is not unprecedented.

Plymouth Rock, where tradition says the Pilgrim Fathers first stepped foot in the United States after disembarking the Mayflower, was vandalized with graffiti in February 2020 along with other statues and monuments in Plymouth.

Meanwhile, seven people were arrested after the iconic "Bean" sculpture in Chicago's Millennium Park was spray-painted with graffiti in July 2019.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

opinion

opinion How to make the most out of your TFSA

The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.

Local Spotlight

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.