There is little wonder in the fact that London is considered to be one of the most important cultural centers of the world. Not only is our capital rich in such classical institutions like museums, galleries and theatres, but there are hundreds of great examples of public art that are scattered across its territory for everyone to see. Those statues, murals and paintings also give the unique face of the city and make it just as great as it actually is. Let’s go through some of the most notable examples.
Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, located in on the southeastern part of the Piccadilly Circus is one of the best known statues in Britain. The statue was created by Alfred Gilbert and depicts a naked figure of Eros. It was cast of aluminum and set on a bronze fountain and has been one of London’s public art symbols ever since 1893.- Queen Elizabeth’s Olympic park in Stratford is home to a fine example of that how art can mix with more practical purposes. ArcelorMittal Orbit is both a statue and an observation tower. It reaches 114.5 meters above ground. It was particularly praised namely because of the mix of structural engineering and art. The total cost of the project was some 22.7 million GBP. It was work of designer Anish Kapoor with Cecil Balmond of engineering Group Arup, architect Ushida Findlay Architects.
- The South Bank Lion is a male lion statue on the east end of the Westminster Bridge. The statue was case in 1837 by Thomas Hardwick. Many people know it as the Red Lion, even though the surface of the statue is white. The reason for that is that the South Bank Lion was actually painted red in the period between 1951 and 1966, and after that the paint was removed.
- Redbridge does not have many examples of public art, but those that it has are truly exceptional. Just take a look at the statue of Sir Winston Churchill on the Broomhill Road side of Woodford’s Green and you will see that is exactly the case. The statue is not impressive because of its size, but rather for the craftsmanship with which the features of the former Prime Minister are reproduced. It is truly a work of art.
- Greenwich contains a number of fine examples of public art. A true tourist attraction is of course the Prime Meridian Market which was placed here in 1999. Other notable features include statues of Captain James Cook at the National Maritime Museum, of William IV on King Williams Walk and the architectural relief sculpture The Immortality of Nelson at the Old Royal Naval College, created in the period 1809-12 by famous painter and sculptor respectively Benjamin West and Joseph Panzetta.
While we take care of your rubbish removal needs, thus saving you time and energy, feel free to roam the streets and check out our suggestions, or find out what your favorite examples of street art in London are.
