Statues of Stature: George Washington

21 August 2014

The statue of George Washington located at the eastern end of the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London was a gift to Britain by the State of Virginia. This oversized bronze statue is a copy of the original marble sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon which stands in the Capitol in Richmond, Virginia.
Although originally made in 1914, it finally made it to the UK after the First World War and was unveiled in 1921 by Judith Brewer, the daughter of the then Speaker of the House of Delegates of Virginia. Washington famously said that he would never set foot on British soil so it is rumoured that American earth was brought over and placed under the statue. I have no idea if that is true but I do like the tale.
 
 
Contributor & photographer: Sue Lowry
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