Affectionately known by the people of Worcester as “Turtleboy,” the statue in Worcester Common has been praised among local art circles for decades, adored for its raw, visceral depiction of intercourse between man and reptile.
But up until recently, the statue had never received critical acclaim for its ingenious, “years-before its-time” mastery.
Though Turtleboy has had it’s fair share of critics, the sculpture gained international acclaim in 1969, after being declared the Eighth Wonder of the World–a work of comparable beauty, complexity and historical significance to Stonehenge or the Pyramid of Giza.
FUN FACT: Sculpted in 1912, the bronze statue was initially titled “Desperate Times,” by its sculptor.
Originally scheduled to replace Michelangelo’s statue of David in the Galleria dell’Accademia, Turtleboy is now on track for it’s move to the Louvre later this month, where it will be displayed alongside the Mona Lisa.
“Clearly this artist was brave enough to challenge the social constructs of the time, breaking down the deeply entrenched taboo of turtle-man relationships,” said turtle art historian, Gary Francis, licking his lips. “I mean love is love, I think that’s really the theme here.”
