John Flaxman, finished and later altered by Edward Hodges Baily, 'Minerva', by 1830, altered about 1834
Full title | Minerva |
---|---|
Artist | John Flaxman, finished and later altered by Edward Hodges Baily |
Artist dates | 1755 - 1826; 1788 - 1867 |
Date made | by 1830, altered about 1834 |
Medium and support | Portland stone |
Acquisition credit | Commissioned by the Office of Works for the Marble Arch, and installed on the Gallery in 1834 |
Inventory number | H216 |
Location | Gallery Exterior: East Front |
Collection | Contextual Collection |
At the eastern end of the Gallery, overlooking the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, is a statue of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom.
It was originally designed by the British neoclassical sculptor, John Flaxman, as a seated figure of Britannia, brandishing a spear and shield, to appear on Marble Arch, designed as a ceremonial entranceway by John Nash. Flaxman was chosen to provide the commemorative sculptural decoration, but after his death in 1826 this work was divided between his former pupil Edward Hodges Baily, Charles Rossi and Richard Westmacott. Work started in 1827 but was halted after the death of George IV and then scaled back after 1831, when the new king, William IV, in a cost-cutting exercise, got rid of its sculptural elements. These were repurposed at Buckingham Palace and the National Gallery.
Now blank, Minerva’s shield originally depicted the head of Lord Nelson, to commemorate his victory over Napoleon at Trafalgar. Baily transformed Britannia into Minerva by removing Nelson from the shield. The balustrade over the east front had to be strengthened to support the statue’s nine-ton weight.
At the eastern end of the Gallery, overlooking the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, is a statue of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom.
It was originally designed by the British neoclassical sculptor, John Flaxman, as a seated figure of Britannia, brandishing a spear and shield, to appear on the Marble Arch, designed as a ceremonial entranceway by John Nash. Flaxman was chosen to provide the commemorative sculptural decoration, but after his death in 1826 this work was divided between his former pupil Edward Hodges Baily, Charles Rossi and Richard Westmacott. Work started in 1827 but was halted after the death of George IV and then scaled back after 1831, when the new king, William IV, in a cost-cutting exercise, got rid of its sculptural elements. These were repurposed at Buckingham Palace and the National Gallery.
Now blank, Minerva’s shield originally depicted the head of Lord Nelson, to commemorate his victory over Napoleon at Trafalgar. Baily transformed Britannia into Minerva by removing Nelson from the shield. The balustrade over the east front had to be strengthened to support the statue’s nine-ton weight.
Download a low-resolution copy of this image for personal use.
This image is licensed for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons agreement.
Examples of non-commercial use are:
- Research, private study, or for internal circulation within an educational organisation (such as a school, college or university)
- Non-profit publications, personal websites, blogs, and social media
The image file is 800 pixels on the longest side.
As a charity, we depend upon the generosity of individuals to ensure the collection continues to engage and inspire. Help keep us free by making a donation today.
You must agree to the Creative Commons terms and conditions to download this image.