Bust

National Portrait Gallery - Chantrey

Inscription

Chantrey

Site: National Portrait Gallery (18 memorials)

WC2, Charing Cross Road

This building, 1896, designed by Ewan Christian, has 18 busts contained in medallions around the top of the facades. Starting at the east end of Orange Street and reading clockwise:
Facing north up Charing Cross Road: Chantrey, Lawrence, Reynolds, Hogarth, Roubilliac, Kneller, Lely, Van Dyke, Holbein.
Around the corner, facing east: Walpole, Clarendon, Fuller.
Facing north beside the entrance: Lodge, Faithorne, Granger.
Facing east, above the entrance are represented the three men chiefly responsible for the Gallery's existence: MacAulay, Stanhope, Carlyle.

2019: The Guardian reported on plans to move the entrance to this museum from the east side of the building round to the north side, where the Irving statue is.

2023: Londonist reported that the north entrance is now open and boasts three sets of doors etched with artworks by Tracy Emin. These show faces of 45 women, not specific or identifiable figures but, as the artist is quoted: "it's up to the viewer to discern what they feel and what they see or who they see..." Londonist sees 'The Doors' as "a direct challenge to/balancing act with the slew of Portland stone busts carved into the building’s original façade, featuring 18 men .."

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:
National Portrait Gallery - Chantrey

Subjects commemorated i

Sir Francis Chantrey

Sculptor. Born Francis Leggatt Chantry at Jordanthorpe, near Norton, Derbyshi...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
National Portrait Gallery - Chantrey

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Old Westminster Library - head 5 - Milton

Old Westminster Library - head 5 - Milton

SW1, Great Smith Street

The hair seems a bit too curly but the sad eyes are right.

1 subject commemorated
Drill Hall - head 6 - Crimean soldier

Drill Hall - head 6 - Crimean soldier

W1, Chenies Street, Drill Hall

In the spandrels above the entrance door: "Bloomsbury Rifles Pro Patria Semper" ('for my country always'). The technique used for this le...

Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

EC4, Fleet Street

The west face is framed with pilasters each side, decorated with emblems of "war" to the left and "peace" to the right. Carved in the sto...

1 subject commemorated
Colonial Office - B09 - Ethelbert

Colonial Office - B09 - Ethelbert

SW1, Whitehall, Foreign Office

Statues Hither and Thither has been invaluable in identifying some of the busts and most of the statues. The statues are not labelled and...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Robert Devereux bust

Robert Devereux bust

WC2, Devereux Court

This bust was brought to our attention by Discovering London, where its claim to carry the oldest inscription in London is debunked.  The...

1 subject commemorated

Previously viewed

Patrick Macnee - Elstree and Borehamwood Station

Patrick Macnee - Elstree and Borehamwood Station

WD6, Allum Lane, Station forecourt

The plaques are around the station forecourt, either on frames or laid into the pavement. The gold lettering on the marble effect on the ...

1 subject commemorated
Croydon airport terminal building

Croydon airport terminal building

CR0, Purley Way

Croydon's Heritage Croydon airport terminal building, 1928 - 1959, one of the first purpose-built terminal buildings in the world. Croydo...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Harry Cole

Harry Cole

SE1, Lant Street, Charles Dickens Primary School

The building has some other, architectural, plaques which read: School Board for London Lant Street School 1877 SLB Lant St. School enlar...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Brian Yale

Brian Yale

Sculptor.  We can't find evidence that this Brian Yale is the sculptor who died on 12 October 2009.

Person, Sculpture

1 memorial
Sub-Lieutenant Edwin Percy Farrow

Sub-Lieutenant Edwin Percy Farrow

Edwin Percy Farrow was born on 5 April 1890 in Manchester, Lancashire, the second of the four children of Edwin Farrow (1856-1950) and Louisa Elizabeth Ann Farrow née Percy (1863-1950). His birth w...

Person, Armed Forces, Turkey

War dead, WW1
1 memorial