Sculpture

Achilles statue

Erection date: 18/6/1822

Inscription

{On the upper plinth:}
To Arthur Duke of Wellington and his brave companions in arms this statue of Achilles, cast from cannon taken in the victories of Salamanca, Vittoria, Toulouse and Waterloo, is inscribed by their countrywomen. 

{On the lower plinth:}
Placed on this spot on the XVIII day of June MDCCCXXII by command of His Majesty George IIII. {18 June 1822}

Modelled on the statue of Dioscuri in Rome. A gay friend of ours is fond of quoting Larry Olivier on this statue: "the best arse in London". We’ve read that this was the first public nude statue erected since antiquity, but can’t of course verify the statement. Possibly it refers just to London, and just to male nudity, since bare-breasted women have long been a feature of statuary. The splendid Ornamental Passions has something to say on the public response to this statue.

Achilles was the Greek hero of the Trojan War, a reference that would have been widely recognised when the statue was erected, 7 years after Wellington's success at the Battle of Waterloo. Bronze, 18 ft high, sculpted in all his glory, Achilles later acquired a bronze fig-leaf. Malcolm has a close-up picture showing the screws and has done some leaf research. Higher up, the face of this chubby-chinned hero is meant to have been modelled on the Duke's but we can't see any likeness. The park used to be walled in, with gates, but this statue was so big part of the wall had to be demolished to get it in. For some reason the nation felt compelled to raise colossal statues to Wellington; 24 years after this one a huge equestrian statue of him was erected on top of the nearby Wellington Arch.

We are puzzled by the unusual use of "IIII" instead of "IV". Royal Parks says that the statue was ordered by George III, who died in 1820 so it was erected in George IV's reign. Could it be that when the old king died the stone had already been carved so they converted the name by adding a "I" rather than re-carve the whole stone? Lazy cheapskates!

Site: Achilles statue (1 memorial)

W1, Hyde Park

The chain-linked pillars discouraging tourists from climbing on the plinths have not always been arranged as they are now. Holes left by some previous configuration are clearly visible on the ground. Looks like there was a double barrier with some close railings at the outer edge and some chunkier but wider-spaced fence slightly further in.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Achilles statue

Subjects commemorated i

Battle of Waterloo

Just like a Hollywood movie that doesn't know when to end, Napoleon escaped f...

Read More

Duke of Wellington

Born Arthur Wesley (later Wellesley) in Dublin to Irish parents. After the Ba...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Achilles statue

Created by i

Countrywomen of the soldiers that fought with Wellington

This patriotic committee of women, led by Lady Lavinia Spencer, ordered the A...

Read More

King George IV

Regent: 1811 - 1820. Reigned: 1820 - 1830. After secretly marrying Mrs Fitzhe...

Read More

Sir Richard Westmacott

Sculptor. Born Grosvenor Square. One of the Commissioners for the Great Exhib...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Wiliam Whiteley - sculpture

Wiliam Whiteley - sculpture

KT12, Whiteley Village

Maybe on an overcast day it would be possible to photograph the north facing front of this sculpture, but on this glorious August day we ...

1 creator
Boy with a Dolphin

Boy with a Dolphin

SW3, Cheyne Walk

This statue, or one very like it, is shown in the 1975 'Bernard Falk's Tour Of Hidden London'.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Aboliton of slavery - SE1

Aboliton of slavery - SE1

SE1, Potters Fields

We photographed this statue in September 2012 and it was gone by March 2014.  Presumably it was relocated somewhere but we don't know.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Woking Martian Cylinder

Woking Martian Cylinder

GU21, Crown Square, Woking

The web address no longer has Wells' material on it, but the Guardian reported on the 2016 Woking celebrations of the  150th anniversary ...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Patricia Penn

Patricia Penn

WC1, Queen Square

Sam was stolen in August 2007. May 2009 - a new Sam is unveiled, secured with steel rods in the bricks.

2 subjects commemorated

Previously viewed

Huguenot fan makers

Huguenot fan makers

EC1, Fann Street, 70, Jewin Welsh Church

This plaque may correctly show where fan makers settled but their Hall was some distance away - see the blue plaque.

2 subjects commemorated
Michael Collins

Michael Collins

Irish nationalist and politician. Born Woodfield, County Cork. He moved to London in 1906 with his sister, spending over nine years there. An activist in the Sinn Féin movement, he was imprisoned i...

Person, Nationalism, Politics & Administration, Ireland

1 memorial