''Pope's Urn'', on Champion's Wharf at

Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...

riverside in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is a contemporary piece of

public art Public art is art in any media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and physically acce ...

inspired by the poetry of 18th-century Twickenham resident

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

, who is buried in the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

that overlooks the wharf. It consists of a stylised

urn An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...

on a

pedestal A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

, both made in

corten steel Weathering steel, often referred to by the genericised trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as corten steel, is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rus ...

and standing just over eight-foot (2.5 metres) high, surrounded by wooden benches inscribed with aphorisms written by Pope. It was commissioned to celebrate the 2015 Rugby World Cup, for which

Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium () in Twickenham, south-west London, England, is a rugby union stadium owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), English rugby union governing body, which has its headquarters there. The England national rugby union team plays ...

was one of the venues, and was opened in a ceremony on 21 September 2015. ''Pope's Urn'' was the initiative of Twickenham resident Graham Henderson as public art consultant for the London-based arts charity Poet in the City. Henderson conceived the project and worked in partnership with Richmond upon Thames Council, and the architectural design practice

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (also known as FCBStudios) is a British architectural design firm, established in 1978, with offices in Bath, London, Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh. The firm is known for its pioneering work in sustainable desig ...

, to design, build and install it. It was unveiled by

Lord True Nicholas Edward True, Baron True (born 31 July 1951) is a British Conservative politician serving as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal since September 2022. Early life and education True was born on 31 July 1951 ...

Leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

of Richmond Council, in a ceremony which included readings from Pope's works by the actor John Hannah, who is a local resident, and by the actress Dame

Harriet Walter Dame Harriet Mary Walter (born 24 September 1950) is a British actress. She has received a Laurence Olivier Award as well as numerous nominations including for a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011 ...

. The sculpture is based on drawings that have survived of an urn designed by Alexander Pope for a friend's garden at

Hagley Hall Hagley Hall is a Grade I listed 18th-century house in Hagley, Worcestershire, the home of the Lyttelton family. It was the creation of George, 1st Lord Lyttelton (1709–1773), secretary to Frederick, Prince of Wales, poet and man of letters ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

. The original urn no longer exists.

Gallery

File:Lord True unveiling the urn.jpg,

unveiling ''Pope's Urn'' at Champion's Wharf, Twickenham, 21 September 2015 File:Pope's Urn benches, with St Mary's in the background.jpg, ''Pope's Urn'' benches, with

St Mary's Church, Twickenham St Mary's Church, Twickenham, also known as St Mary the Virgin, Twickenham, is a Grade II* listed Church of England place of worship dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin. It is on Church Street, Twickenham in the London Borough of Richmond upon T ...

, in the background File:To err is human.jpg, To err is human... File:Fools rush in.jpg,

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread ''An Essay on Criticism'' is one of the first major poems written by the English writer Alexander Pope (1688–1744), published in 1711. It is the source of the famous quotations "To err is human; to forgive, divine", "A little learning is a da ...

File:Hope springs eternal.jpg, Hope springs eternal... File:Dangerous thing.jpg, A little learning is a dangerous thing File:To wake the soul.jpg, To wake the soul... File:Pope's Urn overhead.jpg, Overhead view

References

External links

*
Twickenham Museum: Alexander Pope
{{coord, 51.446609, -0.324584, format=dms, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title 2015 establishments in England 2015 Rugby World Cup 2015 sculptures Aphorisms Outdoor sculptures in London Public art in London Works by Alexander Pope

Gallery

See also

References

External links