OLDEST - public sculpture in Birmingham - University Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, U.K.
Posted by: 
Mike_bjm
N 52° 27.005 W 001° 55.624
30U E 572915 N 5811640
This Equestrian Statue of Geeorge I at the East Gate of the University of Birmingham is the oldest public sculpture in Birmingham.
Waymark Code: WM11W2V
Location: West Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/26/2019
Views: 4
This Equestrian Statue of Geeorge I at the East Gate is the oldest sculpture in Birmingham and is the earliest sculpture associate with the University. It was acquired for the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in 1937 by its first Director, Thomas Bodkin.
'Perhaps Bodkin's most audaciou achievement was saving a 1722 statute of George 1 from the Irish republicas...Today it graces the front of the Barber [Institute of Fine Arts] and the main entrance to the University of Birmingham.' from 'The First Civic University: Birmingham 1880-1980" An Intoductory History by Eric Ives, Dianne Dummond and Leonard Schwarz (ISBN:1-902459-07-05)
From Univerity of Birmingham 'Campus Sculpture Trail' guide:
'1 Workshop of John Nost the Elder (active 1686-1710) Equstrian Statute of King George I, Bronze, 1717-1722 East Gate, in front of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.
This equestrian sculpture, commissioned by the city of Dublin in 1717, is the oldest public sculpture in Birmingham. It is a memorial to King George I (orginally erected in 1723 on Essex Bridge in Dublin.
After Ireland won its independence form Britain, Rupublicans continued to target monuments associated with British rule. However, the statue probably survived due to its being resulted in the garden of Dublin Mansion House, and was sold to the Barber Institute in 1937.
The statue was made in the workshop of John Nost the Elder, who made two other equestrian statues of George I. It follows the classical tradtion of the statue of Emperor Macus Aurelius (2nd century AD) in Rome. The King is depicted in contemporay costume, but wears a laurel.' (
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The sculpture 'attributed to John van Nost the Elder, although probably executed by his assistants Andrew Carpenter and Christopher Burchard after his death. Obviously influence by the famous statue of Marcus Aurelius now on the Captioline Hill in Rome. The heavily built King is in contemporary armour but wears a laurel wreath. Source: 'Pevsner Architectural Guides - Birmingham' by Andy Foster (ISBN:978-0-300-10731-9)