List of public art in Soho

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The statue of William Shakespeare on Leicester Square

This is a list of public art in Soho, a district in the City of Westminster, London. Soho is an area first developed in the 1670s which, since the construction of theatres along Shaftesbury Avenue in the 19th century, has had a strong association with the entertainment industry.[1]

In the south of the district stands Leicester Square, the public sculpture of which has had an eventful history. From 1748 the square had as its centrepiece an equestrian figure of George I, but this deteriorated and was sold off at the beginning of the following century.[2] In 1874 the square was bought by Albert Grant, a company promoter and MP, who had its gardens made over to a design by James Knowles.[3] This refurbishment saw the installation of the Shakespeare fountain and busts of four historical residents of the locale: Isaac Newton, William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds and John Hunter. Each of these busts was positioned near the site of its subject's former home.[2] The busts were severely damaged by inept restoration work in the 1990s.[4]

A renovation of Leicester Square carried out between 2010 and 2012 was criticised for its removal of all the sculptures on the square except for that of Shakespeare.[5] The 1981 statue of Charlie Chaplin which had been displaced as a result of these works returned to the square in 2016.[6] In 2020, Chaplin's statue was joined by several others also on the theme of cinema, which together comprise the sculptural trail Scenes in the Square.[7]

Map of public art in Soho

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates 		Date Artist / designer Architect / other Type Designation Notes

More images 		Statue of Charles II Soho Square

51°30′55″N 0°07′56″W / 51.5154°N 0.1323°W / 51.5154; -0.1323 (Statue of Charles II) 		1681 Caius Gabriel Cibber — Statue Grade II Originally formed the crowning element of a fountain at the centre of Soho Square. In 1875, the badly weathered statue was moved to the garden of Grim's Dyke, Harrow Weald, later the home of W. S. Gilbert. It was returned to the square in 1938, according to the wishes of Gilbert's widow.[8]

More images 		Statue of George II Golden Square

51°30′42″N 0°08′14″W / 51.511647°N 0.137212°W / 51.511647; -0.137212 (Statue of George II) 		1720 John Nost the Elder — Statue Grade II A statue of an allegorical figure in Roman costume, made for Cannons, the seat of the Duke of Chandos in Little Stanhope, Middlesex. An anonymous bidder bought the statue at the sale of the house's contents and erected it in Golden Square as "George II" on 14 March 1753.[9]
Four statues in niches Criterion Theatre and Restaurant, Piccadilly Circus 1871–1874 c. 1871–1874 Edward William Wyon Thomas Verity Architectural sculpture Grade II* [10]
Bust of Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby St Peter's School, Great Windmill Street 1871 Attributed to Hamilton MacCarthy, after Matthew Noble J. T. Wimperis Architectural sculpture — [11][12]

More images 		Statue of William Shakespeare Leicester Square

51°30′37″N 0°07′48″W / 51.510376°N 0.1301182°W / 51.510376; -0.1301182 (Statue of William Shakespeare) 		1874 Giovanni Fontana after Peter Scheemakers James Knowles Fountain with statue Grade II Unveiled 3 July 1874. Based on William Kent and Scheemakers's memorial to the Bard in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey. The scroll held by the figure of Shakespeare bears a quotation from Twelfth Night (Act 4, Scene 2): there is/ no darkness/ but/ ignorance[13]
George Maule Allen Memorial Drinking Fountain St Anne's Churchyard 1890 ? — Drinking fountain — Inscribed erected in memory of/ george maule allen/ of 17 carlisle street soho square/ born 4th october 1855/ died 29th april 1889/ aged 33 years[14]

More images 		Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury 		Piccadilly Circus

51°30′36″N 0°08′04″W / 51.509904°N 0.134515°W / 51.509904; -0.134515 (Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain) 		1885–1893 Alfred Gilbert Howard Ince (consulted on design) Fountain with statue Grade I Unveiled 29 June 1893. Gilbert criticised contemporary statues for being too literal and inartistic, and chose instead to symbolise Lord Shaftesbury's philanthropy with an allegorical figure.[15] This was intended to represent Anteros or "The Angel of Christian Charity", but it became popularly identified with the Greek god's twin brother Eros.
Muses and putti surrounding a bust of Shakespeare Wyndham's Theatre, 32–36 Charing Cross Road 1899 ? W. G. R. Sprague Relief Grade II* [16]
M. Gaudin riding a snail L'Escargot, 48 Greek Street 1900 c. 1900? ? ? Relief Grade II Gaudin was the first restaurateur of L'Escargot.[17]
Angels Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue 1900–1901 c. 1900–1901 T. Simpson Lewen Sharp Architectural sculpture Grade II [18]

More images 		Statue of Henry Irving Irving Street

51°30′35″N 0°07′42″W / 51.5097°N 0.1282°W / 51.5097; -0.1282 (Statue of Henry Irving) 		1910 Thomas Brock — Statue Grade II Unveiled 5 December 1910. The street between the statue and the National Portrait Gallery, formerly Green Street, was renamed in the actor's honour in 1938. The formal gardens were laid out, with railings bearing the monogram HI, for the Festival of Britain in 1951; these were unveiled by Laurence Olivier.[19]
Euterpe 13–14 Archer Street 1912 Charles Pibworth Adams & Holden Relief — 13–14 Archer Street was built as clubrooms for the Orchestral Association.[20]
Britannia with the Wealth of East and West 208–222 Regent Street (formerly Liberty's department store) 1914 (designed); 1923–1924 (executed) Charles Doman and Thomas John Clapperton Edwin Thomas Hall and Edwin Stanley Hall Frieze Grade II At 115 ft long and 7 ft high,[21] this has in the past been claimed to be the largest sculpture in London.[22]
Charles James Fox and Sam House Byron at the Intrepid Fox, 97–99 Wardour Street 1915 ? W. Bradford & Sons Faience relief — Sam House was the landlord of the pub on this site, which he named The Intrepid Fox to express his admiration for the statesman. The relief shows Fox and House, the latter holding a placard inscribed champion/ of the/ people, standing in front of the 18th-century pub.[23]

More images 		The Mayflower Liberty's department store, Great Marlborough Street 1924 ? Edwin Thomas Hall and Edwin Stanley Hall Weather vane Grade II* [24]
Britannia and many other figures County Fire Office Building, 218–222 Regent Street 1924–1927 c. 1924–1927 Joseph Hermon Cawthra Ernest Newton Architectural sculpture Grade II [25]

More images 		Liberty Clock Liberty's department store, Great Marlborough Street

51°30′52″N 0°08′19″W / 51.5145°N 0.1386°W / 51.5145; -0.1386 (Liberty Clock) 		1925 Frank Hope-Jones Edwin Thomas Hall and Edwin Stanley Hall Clock Grade II* [22][26]
Bust of William Shakespeare The Shakespeare's Head pub, 29 Great Marlborough Street, on the corner with Fouberts Place 1928 ? G. G. Macfarlane Architectural sculpture — [27]
Bathing belles Marshall Street Leisure Centre 1928–1931 c. 1928–1931 Herbert Tyson Smith A. W. S. and K. M. S. Cross Architectural sculpture Grade II [12]
Sight and Sound Vue West End, Leicester Square 1938 Edward Bainbridge Copnall E. A. Stone and T. R. Somerford Reliefs — [28]
Reliefs Foyles, Charing Cross Road 1939 c. 1939 Adolfine Mary Ryland E. P. Wheeler and H. F. T. Cooper Reliefs — The building originally housed St Martin's School of Art and the College for Distributive Trades. Ryland's reliefs relate to shop display. The coat of arms of the London County Council and the inscriptions were carved by Percy J. Delf Smith.[29]
Tympanum French Protestant Church, Soho Square 1950 J. Prangnelli Aston Webb Relief Grade II* Marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Strangers' Church in Threadneedle Street. The relief shows the Huguenots departing from France, their arrival at Dover and the granting of the royal charter establishing the church by Edward VI.[30]
Angels and stars Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, Warwick Street 1952–1957 ? Joseph Bonomi the Elder Architectural sculpture Grade II* [31]
Our Lady of Mercy Notre Dame de France, Leicester Place 1953 Georges Saupique Hector Corfiato Architectural sculpture Grade II* [32]
The Spirit of Electricity Orion House (formerly Thorn House), Lichfield Street 1958–1961 Geoffrey Clarke Renton Howard Wood Levine Architectural sculpture Grade II [33]

More images 		Glockenspiel Swiss Court

51°30′38″N 0°07′52″W / 51.5105°N 0.1312°W / 51.5105; -0.1312 (Glockenspiel) 		1968; altered 1985 and again in 2008 Fritz Fuchs ? Glockenspiel — A gift to the City of Westminster from Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the clock originally adorned the Swiss Centre on this street. In 2008 the site was redeveloped, and as a condition of planning approval the Glockenspiel was retained and redesigned as a freestanding clock.[34] Re-inaugurated 28 November 2011.[35][36]

More images 		Cantonal Tree Swiss Court

51°30′38″N 0°07′53″W / 51.510447°N 0.131350°W / 51.510447; -0.131350 (Cantonal Tree) 		1977 ? — Wooden post with shields of the Swiss cantons attached — An antique inn sign, given by Switzerland in May 1977 to mark the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The street was given its current name on 15 April 1991, on the 700th anniversary of the founding of the Swiss Confederation.[37]

More images 		Statue of Charlie Chaplin Leicester Square 1979 John Doubleday — Statue — Unveiled 16 April 1981, the 92nd anniversary of Chaplin's birth, by Ralph Richardson. A slightly modified version was erected in Vevey, the Swiss town Chaplin made his home, the following year.[38] The London statue has been moved multiple times within Leicester Square and the vicinity; it was unveiled on its current site on 16 April 2016.[6]

More images 		Mosaics Tottenham Court Road station 1980–1986 Eduardo Paolozzi — Glass mosaics — The mosaics on the Central line platforms are replete with references to the neighbourhood above ground, particularly its shops selling books, musical instruments and electronics, whereas those on the two Northern line platforms are abstract in design. The mosaics between the entrance and the platforms were the final part of the scheme to be completed.[39][40] During construction work for the Elizabeth line in 2017, 5% of the mosaics were removed and the remainder restored. The detached panels were given to the Edinburgh College of Art, in Paolozzi's birthplace.[41]

More images 		Chinese guardian lions Gerrard Street

51°30′42″N 0°07′52″W / 51.511764°N 0.131114°W / 51.511764; -0.131114 (Chinese lions) 		1985 ? — Sculptures — Unveiled 29 October 1985 by the Duke of Gloucester at the formal opening of Chinatown. A gift from the People's Republic of China.[42]
Ode to the West Wind 17 Noel Street

51°30′53″N 0°08′13″W / 51.514810°N 0.137001°W / 51.514810; -0.137001 (Ode to the West Wind) 		1989 Louise Vines and the London Wall Mural Group — Mural — Inspired by the eponymous poem of 1819 by Percy Bysshe Shelley, who lived around the corner in 15 Poland Street; the mutilated tree is also a reference to the Great Storm of 1987. Originally proposed in 1986 by the Soho Jazz Festival, which then abandoned the commission; it was subsequently taken up by The Soho Society.[43]

More images 		The Spirit of Soho Broadwick Street

51°30′46″N 0°08′18″W / 51.512730°N 0.138236°W / 51.512730; -0.138236 (The Spirit of Soho) 		1991 FreeForm Arts Trust — Mural — Saint Anne, as patroness of Soho, is portrayed in a dress bearing a map of the district. At her feet are gathered several former residents, including Casanova and Marx. Six smaller scenes depict forms of work and leisure characteristic of the area. Restored in 2006.[44]

More images 		The Horses of Helios Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus

51°30′36″N 0°08′00″W / 51.5100°N 0.1334°W / 51.5100; -0.1334 (The Horses of Helios) 		1992 Rudy Weller Peter Howard of Renton Howard Wood Levine Partnership Architectural sculpture — [10][45]

More images 		The Three Graces Coventry Street 1992 Rudy Weller Peter Howard of Renton Howard Wood Levine Partnership Architectural sculpture — [10]

More images 		Lion 64 Shaftesbury Avenue (corner with Wardour Street) 2009 Hsiao-Chi Tsai and Kimiyo Yoshikawa Architectural sculpture — [46]
Timelines Wilder Walk

51°30′38″N 0°08′08″W / 51.510535°N 0.135683°W / 51.510535; -0.135683 (Timelines) 		2011 Daniela Schönbächler Dixon Jones Architects Light installation — [47]
Selene Nadler Hotel, Carlisle Street 2013 Hew Locke Robert Adam Architectural sculpture — The sculptor wished to create "a classical statue with a contemporary twist" and add to the small number of statues of black women in London. Inspirations for the work include Art Nouveau, fairy paintings by Atkinson Grimshaw and drag queens in Soho.[48][49]
Vital Signs Quadrant 3, corner of Brewer Street and Sherwood Street 2013 Spencer Finch Dixon Jones Architects (redevelopment of the Regent Palace Hotel) Light installation [50]

More images 		Group Ham Yard 2014 Tony Cragg — Sculpture — Part of the sculptor's Rational Beings series.[51]
'Diamonds and Circles', works 'in situ' Tottenham Court Road station 2015 Daniel Buren Hawkins\Brown and Acanthus Architects Decorative motifs — A pattern of alternating circle and diamond shapes, 2.4m in height and diameter.[52] The first phase of the redevelopment of the station, the entrance and ticket hall on Oxford Street, opened in January 2015.[53]
Shaida Walking. 2015 Broadwick Street 2015 Julian Opie — LED installation — Installed in 2016 as part of the Lumiere festival.[54]

More images 		Beauty < Immortality
Frank Pick 		Piccadilly Circus tube station

51°30′36″N 0°08′05″W / 51.5099°N 0.1346°W / 51.5099; -0.1346 (Beauty < Immortality) 		2016 Langlands & Bell — Memorial — Unveiled 7 November 2016, the 75th anniversary of Pick's death.[55] A sequence of words found by the artists on a note in Pick's personal papers is inscribed with bronze letters in the Johnston typeface commissioned by him. To the right, Pick's name appears in the London Underground roundel.[56]

More images 		Blackbird (the persistence of vision) 48 Leicester Square 2016 Kenny Hunter MAKE Architects Reliefs — [57]
Praise the Rain Dean Street 2017 Gary Hume Relief — [58]
Herm Rathbone Square 2018 Alison Wilding — Drinking fountain — The bronze fountain provides water at different levels for adults, children and users of wheelchairs.[58]
Infinite Geometry Rathbone Square 2018 Robert Orchardson — Gates — [58]
No Title Tottenham Court Road station 2018 Richard Wright Ceiling decoration — A geometric pattern in gold leaf on the ceiling above the escalator for the eastern ticket hall.[59]

More images 		Geology Rebuilt Soho Place 2022 Fernando Casasempere — Sculpture — Unveiled in Spring 2022.[60]

More images 		Reflection Dean Street 2022 David Breuer-Weil — Sculpture — Unveiled in Spring 2022.[61]
The Carnaby Mural Little Marlborough Street 2022 Kristjana S. Williams Mural — Unveiled 24 November 2022.[62]
London is a Forest Lucent building, Sherwood Street

51°30′38″N 0°08′07″W / 51.5105°N 0.1353°W / 51.5105; -0.1353 (London is a Forest) 		2023 Acrylicize Sculpture — [63][64]
undergroundoverheard Tottenham Court Road station, Dean Street entrance 2024 Douglas Gordon Video art — Unveiled 1 February 2024.[65]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Soho Conservation Area Mini Guide (PDF). Westminster City Council, Department of Planning and City Development. May 2004. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b Ward-Jackson 2011, pp. 112–113.
  3. ^ Sheppard, F. H. W., ed. (1966). "Leicester Square Area: Leicester Estate". Survey of London: volumes 33 and 34: St Anne Soho. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  4. ^ Matthews 2018, p. 102.
  5. ^ Godwin, Richard (30 May 2012). "Don't banish the great men from Leicester Square". Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  6. ^ a b Westminster City Council to unveil statue to film icon Charlie Chaplin in Leicester Square. Westminster City Council. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Celebrate 100 years of cinema with this interactive sculpture trail in Leicester Square". Time Out. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  8. ^ Minogue, Tim. "Soho, farewell then?." Cornerstone. Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  9. ^ Sheppard, F. H. W., ed. (1963). "Golden Square Area: Golden Square Garden". Survey of London: volumes 31 and 32: St James Westminster, Part 2. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  10. ^ a b c Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 451.
  11. ^ Ward-Jackson 2011, p. 45.
  12. ^ a b Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 395.
  13. ^ Ward-Jackson 2011, pp. 113–114
  14. ^ "St Ann's Churchyard, Soho". Metropolitan Drinking Fountain & Cattle Trough Association Cattle Troughs and Drinking Fountains. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  15. ^ Sheppard, F. H. W., ed. (1963). "The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain". Survey of London: volumes 31 and 32: St James Westminster, Part 2. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  16. ^ Banerjee, Jacqueline; Landow, George P. "Wyndham's Theatre, Charing Cross, London". The Victorian Web. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  17. ^ Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 413.
  18. ^ Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 425.
  19. ^ Cheshire, D. F. The Irving Memorial. The Irving Society. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  20. ^ Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 412.
  21. ^ Gleichen 1973, pp. 160–161.
  22. ^ a b Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 456.
  23. ^ "Relief: Sam House". London Remembers. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  24. ^ "Mayflower weather vane, Liberty Store (London, 1924)". Voyaging Through History: The Mayflower & Britain. University of Exeter. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  25. ^ Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 450.
  26. ^ Our Heritage. Liberty. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  27. ^ Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 411.
  28. ^ Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 419.
  29. ^ Powers, Alan (January 2015). Foyles, formerly St Martin's School of Art, London. Twentieth Century Society. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  30. ^ Devitt, Tim (30 March 2010). "French Protestant Church". Soho Memories. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  31. ^ Sheppard, F. H. W., ed. (1963). "Golden Square Area: Warwick Street". Survey of London: Volumes 31 and 32, St James Westminster, Part 2. London: Institute of Historical Research. pp. 167–173. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  32. ^ "Art". Notre Dame de France. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  33. ^ Ward-Jackson 2011, pp. 119–120.
  34. ^ Leicester Square Swiss glockenspiel restored by Smith of Derby. BBC News. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  35. ^ Landmark Swiss clock returns to Leicester Square. BBC News. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  36. ^ Bradley & Pevsner 2003, p. 419
  37. ^ "Memorial: Anglo-Swiss friendship". London Remembers. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  38. ^ Ward-Jackson 2011, pp. 118–119
  39. ^ Paolozzi 1984, pp. 30–34
  40. ^ Spencer, Robin (January 2009). "Paolozzi, Sir Eduardo Luigi (1924–2005)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/95757. Retrieved 31 August 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  41. ^ Paolozzi Restoration at Tottenham Court Road station. Art on the Underground. February 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  42. ^ "Chinese lions". London Remembers. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  43. ^ Ode to the West Wind. London Mural Preservation Society. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  44. ^ "Spirit of Soho Mural". London Remembers. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  45. ^ The Four Bronze Horses of Helios. The Fountain Society. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  46. ^ Ward-Jackson 2011, p. 385.
  47. ^ "The Quadrant Timelines". Modus Operandi. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  48. ^ "Selene – Hew Locke's first permanent work in London". ARC Magazine. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  49. ^ "base2stay™ Hotel, London". e-architect. 11 May 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  50. ^ "The Quadrant Vital Signs". Modus Operandi. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  51. ^ Barry, Frances (19 June 2017). "Tony Cragg, Group". Walks of Art. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  52. ^ Tottenham Court Road Commission. Art on the Underground. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  53. ^ Fitzgerald, Miranda (20 January 2015). "Hawkins\Brown and Daniel Buren's Op-Art tube station". on office. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  54. ^ Shaida Walking. 2015. Lumiere Festival. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  55. ^ Craig, Zoe (7 November 2016). "Frank Pick Roundel Unveiled At Piccadilly Circus". Londonist. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  56. ^ Parsons, Elly (7 November 2016). "Train of thought: artists Langlands & Bell celebrate Frank Pick's design philosophy". Wallpaper. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  57. ^ Wilkinson, Sam (6 January 2017). Blackbird (the persistence of vision). InSite Arts. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  58. ^ a b c "Consultancy: Oxford Street". Jes Fernie: Curator & Writer. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  59. ^ Artwork at Tottenham Court Road. Crossrail. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  60. ^ Geology Rebuilt. Art UK. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  61. ^ Reflection. Art UK. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  62. ^ "Acclaimed artist, Kristjana S Williams, returns to Carnaby to launch public mural and seasonal pop-up". Westminster Extra. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  63. ^ "London is a Forest is a weird public artwork above a pub". ianVisits. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  64. ^ "Lucent". Acrylicize. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  65. ^ undergroundoverheard. Retrieved 19 March 2024.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Bradley, Simon; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2003). London 6: Westminster. The Buildings of England. London and New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09595-1.
  • Gleichen, Lord Edward (1973). London's Open-Air Statuary. Bath: Cedric Chivers Ltd.
  • Matthews, Peter (2018). London's Statues and Monuments. Oxford: Shire Publications. ISBN 978-1-78442-256-1.
  • Paolozzi, Eduardo (1984). Robinson, Marlee (ed.). Eduardo Paolozzi: Private Vision—Public Art. London: Architectural Association Publications. ISBN 978-0904503500.
  • Ward-Jackson, Philip (2011). Public Sculpture of Historic Westminster: Volume 1. Public Sculpture of Britain. Vol. 14. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-84631-691-3.
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