Angel of the North, Steel sculpture in Gateshead, England
The Angel of the North is a steel sculpture in Gateshead, northeast England, rising about 20 meters (66 feet) above a flat hilltop. Its two wings stretch almost 54 meters (177 feet) across and tilt slightly forward, giving the impression of open arms reaching out toward passing traffic.
Antony Gormley designed the figure in the late 1990s for a site once used for coal mining. It was erected in February 1998, funded by the National Lottery and various public grants.
Commuters and travelers often pull over to photograph the figure, while locals treat it as a familiar feature of their daily landscape. During sporting events or national celebrations, people from the area sometimes decorate the wings with jerseys, flags or banners, turning it into a kind of public canvas.
It stands on a hill right beside the motorway and several main roads, so you can see it both from a car and on foot from various directions. Access is free and you can walk up to the base, though the ground becomes slippery in rain and the area feels open and exposed in strong wind.
The surface is made of weathering steel that develops a rust-colored patina over time, so its color shifts depending on light and season. Each wing weighs around 55 tons, which is more than the weight of the entire body, which comes in at just 50 tons.
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