Excitement builds as date is set for unveiling of Midhurst's beautiful new Dante statue

The statue, which depicts 13th century Italian poet Dante Alighieri, will be unveiled at South Pond in Midhurst on September 11 and art lovers from across town are gearing up to see it.

Midhurst Town Council chairman Richard Watts said the acquisition and unveiling of the statue is a watershed moment for the town; a celebration of strong artistic community.

"The foundations should be going in any time now, and it’s really exciting. I don’t want to say too much because, at the unveiling, we’ll tell the whole story, and I don’t want to undercut that.

"We’re obviously, as the council, always keen to encourage visitors, and we really hope it’ll do just that. It’s a very prominent work, Philip Jackson is an artist that’s known all over the world and you only have to go on to his webpage to see the quality of his work. So obviously we’re hoping people will come to see it, but it’s also, I think, this sign of appreciation from Philip and his wife Jean, of their life in Midhurst and it’s a great honour to have it.”

Philip Jackson has lived in Midhurst for the last 30 years, and received international acclaim for his style of sculpture, which depicts human figures in visual correspondence with the natural world taking on the texture of tree bark, rock or molten lava before flowing into fingers, hands and faces, to create a surreal, almost alien impression.

Fully cast in bronze, the dante statue is typical of Jackson’s iconoclastic style and puts Midhurst in excellent company: his statues have appeared in countries all over the world, depicting figures like the Queen Mother, Mahatma Ghandi and serving members of RAF Bomber Command.

Cllr Watts, who signed the deed of gift transferring ownership of the statue to the council earlier this week, added: “We’re all really excited about it. It’s been a long time in the works and, and as we get closer and closer to the unveiling that just grows.”