More open air statuary in the Square Mile

A whole lot of woman here! This huge nude figure, sculpted in bronze by Colombian artist Fernando Botero can be seen lying above the Water Feature by Stephen Cox, in Exchange Square in the Broadgate complex. It weighs in at 5 tons and is massive in size.

An abstract in carved stone by Stephen Cox stands at Sun Street Roundabout. It portrays the tension between opposites of belief. Positive - negative, male - female, yin - yan, birth - death. In Hindu, Devi is 'the Goddess'. Ganapathi alludes to the elephant god, Ganesh.

When I first saw this I thought it was surplus building material left to be picked up by the scrap lorry! Entitled ‘Fulcrum’, it is by American artist, Richard Serra. Four lumps of rusty iron stand at an entrance to the Broadgate complex. The artist must have had a smile on his face when he got paid for this.

Another sculpture to be found at Broadgate. This one is by Welsh artist Barry Flanagan who as a sculptor and print maker, apparently has a reputation for portraying Hares with human attributes. When I took this photo I felt I had seen it before, but since then I have found many other works in the same vein and rather like them now.

On the corner of Lawrence Poultney Hill and Cannon Street this work can be seen recessed into the corner of the building there. The plaque gives the following information about the work: “Break the walls of distrust. Commissioned by Speyhawk PLC October 1989. Unveiled by The Right Hon. Richard Luce M.P. Minister for the arts on 17th May 1990. A work by Zurab Tsereteu people’s artist of the USSR”.

A bronze Shepherd and Sheep by Dame Elisabeth Frink can be found at the North end of Paternoster Square. The reason it is here, I suppose, is that the square was a livestock market in ancient times. The statue was commissioned for the previous Paternoster Square complex in 1975 and was replaced on a new plinth following the redevelopment. Another of her works is the Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green.

Bow Lane, by the side of Saint Mary Le Bow Church, leads into Watling Street. Turn right, and you will come upon this memorial to the naval admiral who became the first governor of New South Wales, Admiral Arthur Phillip (1738 - 1814). At the time this was a proposed British penal colony. There is a great deal of information to be had from the engraved plaques  around the sides of the structures base.

A lady asked me to find out who, or what, this statue represents. It is very high up on a conical roof and the photo I took, shows a woman in a long dress holding a snake in her right hand and a skull in the left. I can find no mention of it in the usual places I go for research, and it is beginning to annoy me. I have even made enquiries at the bank and a kind young lady is trying to get the information (if it exists). If you can identify the figure please contact me.

Around the corner from Saint Paul’s Cathedral, in King Edward Street, you will find this imposing figure. Sir Rowland Hill, normally credited as being the founder of the modern postal service and it’s penny black stamp. Designed in 1881 by artist Edward Onslo Ford, it was unveiled outside the National Postal Museum in 1923. He was originally from Kidderminster.

Upon entering the square and seeing this column, I presumed it was a small version of The Monument to the Great Fire. I was wrong. It is in fact, a fountain below a stone column topped by a gold leaf covered flaming copper urn, illuminated by fibre-optics at night. It is a memorial to the 20,000 books destroyed during the blitz. Designed by the architects Whitfield Partners.

This giant piece of sculpture by Thomas Heatherwick can be seen in Bishops Court, an area leading off Paternoster Square. It is quite a large functional piece, actually a cooling vent for the electrical transformers, and replaces a plain concrete vent. It has been likened to an angel's wings.

Bellerophon Taming Pegasus, to give it’s full name, by Jaques Lipchitz (1891 - 1973). It can be seen somewhat hidden in a small courtyard off the Broadgate Complex near the ‘Rush Hour’ statue. Sculpted in 1964, the unusual bronze figure was unveiled in 1987.

This figure by Vivien Mallock represents the Barge Master at the ceremony known as “Swan Upping” held annually on the river Thames. The Queens swans are counted by members of the Vintners, and the Dyers livery companies. It stands near the church of St. James Garlickhythe and was commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Vintners.

This firefighters memorial entitled ‘Blitz’ was unveiled on May 4th. 1991 by The Queen Mother in Old Change Court, Sermon Lane, behind Saint Pauls Cathedral. Churchill referred to them as ‘Heroes with grimy faces’ once. The scupltor of this work was John W. Mill. Originally it was to commemorate those who died fighting fires in the City during WWII but a section was added to the base to make it the national monument. The typeface used for the names is the same as that used on the ration books of the time.