The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, popularly known as Eros, is a fountain surmounted by a winged statue of
Anteros
In Greek mythology, Anteros (; Ancient Greek: Ἀντέρως ''Antérōs'') was the god of requited love (literally "love returned" or "counter-love") and also the punisher of those who scorn love and the advances of others, or the avenger of ...
, located at the southeastern side of
Piccadilly Circus in London, England. Moved after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
from its original position in the centre of the circus, it was erected in 1892–93 to commemorate the philanthropic works of
The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, the Victorian
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...
and
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
, and his achievement in replacing child labour with school education. The fountain overlooks the south-west end of
Shaftesbury Avenue
Shaftesbury Avenue is a major road in the West End of London, named after The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It runs north-easterly from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. From Piccadilly ...
, also named for the
Earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant " chieftain", particu ...
.
Description and history
Alfred Gilbert
Sir Alfred Gilbert (12 August 18544 November 1934) was an English sculptor. He was born in London and studied sculpture under Joseph Boehm, Matthew Noble, Édouard Lantéri and Pierre-Jules Cavelier. His first work of importance was ''The Kis ...
's use of a nude figure on a public monument was controversial at the time of its construction, but it was generally well received by the public. The ''
Magazine of Art'' described it as "a striking contrast to the dull ugliness of the generality of our street sculpture, ... a work which, while beautifying one of our hitherto desolate open spaces, should do much towards the elevation of public taste in the direction of decorative sculpture, and serve freedom for the metropolis from any further additions of the old order of monumental monstrosities." The statue has been called "London's most famous work of sculpture"; a graphical illustration of it is used as the symbol of the ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'' newspaper and appears on its masthead. It was the first sculpture in the world to be cast in
aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...
and is set on a
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids suc ...
fountain, which itself inspired the marine motifs that Gilbert carved on the statue.
Although the statue is generally known as
Eros
In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the ear ...
, it was created as an image of that Greek god's brother, Anteros. The sculptor Alfred Gilbert had already sculpted a statue of Anteros and, when commissioned for the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, chose to reproduce the same subject, who, as "The God of Selfless Love" was deemed to represent the philanthropic
7th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (28 April 1801 – 1 October 1885), styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was a British Tory politician, philanthropist, and social reformer. He was the eldest son of The 6th Earl of Shaftesbury ...
suitably. Gilbert described Anteros as portraying "reflective and mature love, as opposed to Eros or Cupid, the frivolous tyrant." Gilbert commented on his reason for the statue, saying:
The model for the sculpture was Gilbert's studio assistant, a 16-year-old Anglo-Italian,
Angelo Colarossi
Angelo Colarossi (1875–1949) was a studio boy and assistant to the sculptor Alfred Gilbert. At the age of 15, he modelled for Gilbert's most famous statue ''Anteros'' (1891) on the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus. He was lat ...
(born 1875 in Shepherd's Bush).
Fernando Meacci was involved in the moulding of the fountain and it was probably cast by
George Broad & Son.
The memorial was unveiled by
The 1st Duke of Westminster on 29 June 1893. Following the unveiling there were numerous complaints. Some felt it was sited in a vulgar part of town (the theatre district), and others felt that it was too sensual as a memorial for a famously sober and respectable Earl. Some of the objections were tempered by renaming the statue as ''The Angel of Christian Charity'', which was the nearest approximation that could be invented in Christian terms for the role Anteros played in the Greek pantheon. However, the name never became widely known and the statue was thence referred to as ''Eros'', the god of sensual love; inappropriate some said in relation to the Earl's commemoration, but hailed by others as an ironic representation of the more carnal side of the neighbourhood, into which Soho had developed.
The whole memorial has been removed from the circus twice in its history. In 1922, construction began on the new
tube station
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England.
The Und ...
directly beneath the memorial. The memorial was therefore taken away and put in
Embankment Gardens
The Victoria Embankment Gardens are a series of gardens on the north side of the River Thames between Blackfriars Bridge and Westminster Bridge in London.
History
Between 1865 and 1870 the northern embankment and sewer was built by Sir Jose ...
. It returned to Piccadilly Circus in 1931, but when the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
broke out in 1939, the statue only was removed for safety and kept in
Egham
Egham ( ) is a university town in the Borough of Runnymede in Surrey, England, approximately west of central London. First settled in the Bronze Age, the town was under the control of Chertsey Abbey for much of the Middle Ages. In 1215, Magna ...
. It did not return to Piccadilly Circus again until 1948.
The statue was again removed in the 1980s – this time for restoration – and resited upon its return in February 1985. During the restoration a set of plaster casts was unearthed in the basements of the
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
which revealed damage to the statue. The statue was also vandalised in 1990 and after radiography and restoration returned in 1994. In May 2012 the statue had a new bow string fitted after the original was broken by a tourist.
In the winter of 2013–14, the statue was covered with a PVC
snow globe
A snow globe (also called a waterglobe, snowstorm, or snowdome) is a transparent sphere, traditionally made of glass, enclosing a miniaturized scene of some sort, often together with a model of a town, neighborhood, landscape or figure. The sph ...
featuring internal fans blowing the "snowflakes". This also had the function of protecting the statue from vandalism and it was planned to return in subsequent years. However, strong winds caused the globe to become damaged and deflate and it was not subsequently repaired. In winter 2014–15, octagonal advertising hoardings forming a box for giant Christmas presents had a similar function.
NOV 28, 2014, LOCAL AUTHORITY CONTRACT. Eros surrounded by box of giant Christmas presents
/ref>
See also
* 1893 in art
The year 1893 in art involved some significant events.
Events
* February – Grafton Galleries open in London.
* April – '' The Studio: An Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art'' is first published in London by Charles Holme with Jos ...
* Art Gallery of South Australia
The Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA), established as the National Gallery of South Australia in 1881, is located in Adelaide. It is the most significant visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of ...
, which has a replica
* Greek mythology in western art and literature
With the rediscovery of classical antiquity in the Renaissance, the poetry of Ovid became a major influence on the imagination of poets and artists, and remained a fundamental influence on the diffusion and perception of classical mythology thro ...
* Sefton Park
Sefton Park is a public park in south Liverpool, England. The park is in a district of the same name, located roughly within the historic bounds of the large area of Toxteth Park. Neighbouring districts include modern-day Toxteth, Aigburth ...
, a park in Liverpool with a replica
References
External links
The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain
at University of London & History of Parliament Trust
{{Portal bar, Ancient Greece, London, Myths, Visual arts
1893 establishments in the United Kingdom
1893 sculptures
Aluminium sculptures in the United Kingdom
Bronze sculptures in the United Kingdom
Drinking fountains in the United Kingdom
Grade I listed statues in the City of Westminster
Grade I listed monuments and memorials
Ancient Greece in art and culture
Monuments and memorials in London
Nude sculptures in the United Kingdom
Outdoor sculptures in London
Piccadilly Circus
Sculptures by Alfred Gilbert
Art Nouveau architecture in London
Art Nouveau sculptures and memorials