Walter Scott - Glasgow, Scotland
N 55° 51.664 W 004° 15.013
30U E 421749 N 6191323
The Walter Scott Memorial Column is located in the center of George Square in Glasgow, Scotland.
Waymark Code: WMMDRP
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/06/2014
Views: 3
ABOUT THE STATUE/COLUMN:
"Column and base by David Rhind, 1837. Statue designed by John Greenshields, executed by A Handyside Ritchie. Sited importantly at the centre of George Square, tall Doric column on Grecian podium supports over lifesize stone statue to Walter Scott wearing a plaid. Base and column polished ashlar, very finely detailed. Ramped podium with channelled masonry and advanced polished angles ending in lion masks. Anthemion frieze, above rises tall Roman Doric column with delicately incised base and echinus supporting cylindrical carved drum podium on which stands the statue of Scott."
--Historic Scotland (
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"The statue was designed by John Greenshields, a native of Lesmahagow. It was executed by Handyside & Ritchie. The inscription is by William Mossman and the column and pedestal was designed by the architect David Rhind. James Govan the stone mason completed the monument in 1838 and stands high above the square on an 80 foot column. Sir Walter Scott stands on the top of this tall column, with his plaid thrown over his right shoulder (as he usually did in life) instead of his left.
Scott is shown standing in a relaxed posture with his right foot slightly advanced and his left hand raised to his chest, he holds a pen in his left hand and a book in his right. Dressed in a cutaway coat, he also wears a shepherd’s plaid, which passes diagonally across his chest and falls to the ground from his right shoulder. The placement of the plaid on the right shoulder obeys a convention which correctly identifies Scott as a native of the Borders rather than a Highlander. The statue is composed of four blocks, with joins occurring at the hips, shoulders and thighs, and stands on a decorated cylindrical pedestal supported by a Doric column. The column itself is raised on a rectangular pedestal with sarcophagi inserted into each of the four sides and pairs of lion masks on the corner piers."
--Source (
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ABOUT THE MAN:
"Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, FRSE (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet.
Scott was the first English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers in Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and of Scottish literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of the Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor.
Although primarily remembered for his extensive literary works and his political engagement, Scott was an advocate, judge and legal administrator by profession, and throughout his career combined his writing and editing work with his daily occupation as Clerk of Session and Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire."
--Wikipedia (
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