''The Horses of Helios'', also known as ''The Four Bronze Horses of Helios'', is a bronze sculpture of four horses by Rudy Weller. It is one half of a commission installed in 1992 when the adjacent

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began development ...

was refurbished. The other half, the ''Daughters of Helios'' or ''Three Graces'', is a sculpture of three women leaping off the building six stories above. ''The Horses of Helios'' comprises three bronze elements with dark patina: one pair of horses weighing approximately 4 tons, and two single horses. The four rearing horses appear to be bursting from the water of a fountain. It depicts

Aethon The ancient Greek word ''aithôn'' means "burning", "blazing" or "shining." Less strictly, it can denote the colour red-brown, or "tawny." It is an epithet sometimes applied to animals such as horses at Hom. ''Il''. 2.839 ; oxen at ''Od''.18.372; a ...

, Eous, Phlegon, and

Pyrois In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Helios (; grc, , , Sun; Homeric Greek: ) is the god and personification of the Sun (Solar deity). His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyperion ("the one above") an ...

- the four horses of

Helios In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Helios (; grc, , , Sun; Homeric Greek: ) is the deity, god and personification of the Sun (Solar deity). His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyper ...

, Greek god of the sun. The sculpture was installed in 1991 in a fountain under a canopy at the base of the building at 1

Jermyn Street Jermyn Street is a one-way street in the St James's area of the City of Westminster in London, England. It is to the south of, parallel, and adjacent to Piccadilly. Jermyn Street is known as a street for gentlemen's-clothing retailers. Hist ...

, on the corner where

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...

meets

Haymarket Haymarket may refer to: Places Australia * Haymarket, New South Wales, area of Sydney, Australia Germany * Heumarkt (KVB), transport interchange in Cologne on the site of the Heumarkt (literally: hay market) Russia * Sennaya Square (''Hay Squ ...

, near Piccadilly Circus in London. The building is adjacent to the

, and was installed when the theatre was refurbished. The ''Daughters of Helios'' or '' Three Graces'' depicts the three Charites -

Aglaea Aglaea () or Aglaïa (; grc, Ἀγλαΐα, lit=festive radiance) is one of the three ''Charites'' or ''Gratiae'' (Graces) in Greek mythology. Family According to Hesiod, Aglaea is the youngest of the Charites, the three daughters of Zeus a ...

, Euphrosyne, and

Thalia Thalia, Thalía, Thaleia or Thalian may refer to: People * Thalia (given name), including a list of people with the name * Thalía (born 1971), Mexican singer and actress Mythological and fictional characters * Thalia (Grace), one of the three ...

- who in some accounts are the daughters of Helios and the naiad

Aegle Aegle may refer to: * Aegle (mythology), a number of characters from Greek mythology * 96 Aegle Aegle ( minor planet designation: 96 Aegle) is a carbonaceous asteroid and the namesake of the Aegle family located in the outer regions of the ast ...

. The three female figures are made from gold-leaf-covered aluminium. They are installed at roof level, as if leaping off the 6th floor of the building immediately above the horses below. , since at least December 2020, the sculpture is behind a security fence and the fountain is not operating. File:Flying Gold Women (4869646057).jpg, ''Daughters of Helios'' File:Soaring figures at roof level. - geograph.org.uk - 510361.jpg, ''Daughters of Helios''

References

Piccadilly Circus
Secret London

References

External links