King Alfred and His Court

This piece was created by West Virginia artist Jeff Fetty in 1990. Fetty is one of the state's most celebrated artists. He was the sixth American to be inducted into the International Metal Design Annual in Germany and has created works for former president Bill Clinton, designer Yves Saint-Laurent, musician Jon Bon Jovi, and the Elizabethan Globe Theatre. Fetty has also maintained traditional Blacksmithing techniques from his home in Spencer, West Virginia, training new apprentices and creating a space for established smiths to work.

King Alfred and His Court consists of five large steel and iron flowers, likely intended to be daffodils. The components stand slightly over nine feet tall and are arranged in a semi-circle on a slightly raised mound of dirt. When in season, the earth around the sculpture is rife with real flowers. In many ways, the sculpture is figurative. The vertically aligned flowers are reminiscent of a person with upstretched arms. The name further encourages connections between the flowers and people. With this understanding in mind, the sea of flowers at the base of the sculpture can be understood as the general populace, towered over by the giants of King Alfred's reign. Interestingly, this is not the only King Alfred flower sculpture Fetty made. Another work, which features a single flower, was commissioned in 1994 by the Metal Museum. The work is titled "The Real King Alfred" suggesting that this arrangement of his court is an impostor or fake version of the king.

Historically, King Alfred was a Saxon king who ruled from 871 until his death in 899. Though Alfred's political and battlefield accomplishments were lauded, he is best known for his revival of the arts and literature in England. For this reason, daffodils are an appropriate choice for a work of art bearing Alfred's name. The flower is historically associated with regeneration and rebirth, as it is one of the first plants to bloom after winter. Additionally, daffodils are one of the most revered and written about plants in classical English literature, a fact many literary historians have noted. Through composition, naming, and site, Fetty's King Alfred and His Court offers more than initially meets the eye. As one moves around the piece, learns the name, and considers its interplay with the environment, new understandings emerge.

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