Travelling Worm

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 40-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC came across a couple of statues of Oscar Wilde in Dublin. To our delight, one of them was accompanied by its original sculptor, Danny Osborne. He was drilling into the statue’s hand! Read on for the story.

The book I’m in

Darknet, by Matthew Maher. A rollicking tale of murder and mayhem in the world of high tech.

Travel tips

Take a walk in the park, even in the rain. You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll see.

The photos

Sculptor Danny Osborne repairing his statue of Oscar Wilde in Merrion Square Park, Dublin:

It was a wet and grey day in Dublin today. Nevertheless, me and the TC took a walk in the park. To our surprise, this fellow climbed up a ladder behind the sculpture of Oscar Wilde and started drilling into the statue’s hand. The TC, ever fearless in pursuit of knowledge, asked him if he was the original artist. He said yes, and added that he was replacing the green carnation that was broken a few years ago.

The sculpture, erected in 1997, is magnificent and eye-catching. It emphasizes the beauty of stone, much loved by Wilde himself. The large base is made of quartz from the Wicklow Mountains which lie outside Dublin. The jacket is carved from green jade, the head and hands from white jade, the collar and cuffs from pink thulite, and the trousers, shoes, and socks from blue and black granite.

The statue originally held a bronze carnation in its right hand. Presumably the bronze would turn green with the passage of time. We were lucky enough to encounter the artist doing the necessary repairs to replace the carnation.

Back in Oscar’s time, a green carnation was a symbol of the queer community. In 1892, he made the artificially-coloured flower famous by wearing one on his lapel and encouraging his friends to do the same. Whenever anyone asked what the green carnation meant, Oscar would imply mystery and slight danger. There are rumours that he did this to generate publicity for his new play, Lady Windermere’s Fan.

The statue provoked some controversy at the time of its unveiling. Seen from another angle, Oscar does look a little debauched and careless:

However, this worm finds the work intriguing and engaging.

Me with another version of Oscar, just across the way from the park. This one is right outside the playwright’s home:

Here’s the statue in its entirety:

That’s all for today, folks.