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Commissioned by Howard Robertson, architect of Hatfield Technical College, where it was unveiled in December 1952. ‘The Oracle’ is one of the UH Art Collection’s five founding works. It was funded by Hertfordshire County Council in 1952 for the Main Reception for Hatfield Technical College. The work was later re-instated in the same location. Reg Butler was considered one of the most promising British Sculptors during the 1950s. For a period he lived and worked in Hatfield and found himself staring up at the sky, watching the planes from the de Havilland Aircraft Company flying overhead. These experiences may have influenced the form and spirit of this and other sculptures. ‘The Oracle’ has been described as ’full of the potential for flight’ by art critic Lawrence Alloway.
University of Hertfordshire
Hatfield
Title
The Oracle
Date
1952
Medium
bronze
Measurements
H 75 x W 173 x D 92 cm
Accession number
HERUH319
Acquisition method
commissioned by Hatfield Technical College, 1952
Work type
Sculpture
University of Hertfordshire
UH Arts, College Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB England
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