This statue of 18th century writer and essayist Samuel Johnson stands in the rear churchyard of St Clement Danes church in Westminster. Samuel Johnson attended church here, but the statue was not erected here until 1910.
The statue is made of bronze and stands on a block of grey Portland Stone. Johnson is dressed in period clothing and appears to be about life size. He holds an open book in his left hand, and appears either to be reading from it or referring to it. His face is captured in mid-sentence and he looks directly down at the folks who stop to admire the statue.
The front of the plinth is engraved as follows:
SAMUEL JOHNSON
LLD, critic, essayist, philologist, biographer, wit, poet, moralist, dramatist, political writer, talker. Born 1709, died 1784.
The gift and handiwork of Percy Fitzgerald, FSA and erected by the Revd. S. Pennington, MA, Rector of St. Clement Danes, 1910."
Three bronze reliefs surround the plinth:
[E side]
Boswell's head in profile, inscribed "Boswell"
[W side]
Johnson with Mrs Thrale, inscribed "Mrs Thrale"
[N side]
"Johnson with Boswell, in the Highlands"
From London Remembers: (
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"This bronze statue is placed close to St Clement Dane's church, the one that Johnson attended. Reverend Pennington, the rector at St Clements, was the donor of the statue. He died just as the statue was ready so it was thought appropriate to unveil the work as the body was conveyed into the church for the lying in state.
Fitzgerald, the sculptor, modelled the face on the portrait by Reynolds and Nolleken's bust. Fitzgerald also unveiled the statue when the death of Edward VII caused the planned royal unveiling by his daughter, Princess Louise, to be cancelled.
The statue and the 3 bronze reliefs are, putting it charitably, modelled in a very rough style."