Charles II Statue - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
N 55° 56.956 W 003° 11.420
30U E 488113 N 6200449
This equestrian statue of Charles II is located in Parliament Square in Edinburgh's Old Town. It has a Category A listing on the Historic Environment Scotland register.
Waymark Code: WMWR82
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/05/2017
Views: 3
"Description
Statue 1685; pedestal 1835, incorporating 1685 inscription tablet (see Notes). Exceptional and important, lead, life-size, equestrian statue of King Charles II situated on tall, rectangular-plan, classical ashlar pedestal.
Equestrian statue with figure dressed in Roman martial imperial dress, sitting astride horse and with baton in right hand. Horse in standing position with right front leg raised.
Pedestal with shallow plinth, deep moulded base course, overhanging cornice. Sunken panels to all sides with egg and dart moulding. 1685 inscription tablet to E face.
Statement of Special Interest
A Group with Nos 2-11 Parliament Square, Advocates' Library, Signet Library, Parliament Hall, 1 Parliament Square, St Giles High Kirk, Lothian Chambers, City Chambers, Alexander and Bucephalus Statue, Queensberry Memorial and the Market Cross.
This life-size, grand, imposing, and finely crafted statue is the oldest statue in Edinburgh and may be the oldest lead equestrian statue in Britain. It is situated in Parliament Square, in front of the Parliament Buildings and behind St Giles Cathedral (both separately listed) and adds significantly to the gravitas of this particular architectural group. It is an exceptionally important statue with modelling of the highest standard. Recent research cited by D Howarth suggests that this statue came from the workshop of Grinling Gibbons, the famous Dutch sculptor. Gibbons is more widely recognised for his woodcarving and currently only 4 documented large scale works of his remain.
The statue was erected in 1685 as a tribute to Charles II (1630-1685). It depicts Charles dressed in Roman military dress and equates him with one of the Caesars. The baton he carries is a symbol of Imperial authority. The original pedestal was made from Craigleith stone by Robert Mylne, the King's Master Mason in Scotland. The original marble inscription tablet, extolling the virtues of Charles II was incorporated into the current, later replica pedestal and was written in Latin by an advocate, William Clerk."
--Historic Environment Scotland (
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