The Angel of the North is 20 metres tall with a wingspan of 54 metres, the scale doesn't fully register until you're standing at its base. Gormley's figure is made from weathering steel, the same material as the old steelworks it memorialises, and has developed a deep rust patina that makes it look like it grew from the hill. It was controversial when it arrived in 1998. No one argues about it now.
It stands on a hill visible from the A1(M) approaching Gateshead from the south, most people see it from a motorway and don't stop. The ones who do stop find a viewing area with unexpected quiet for something on a major road, and a scale of ambition that feels right for the North.