Bust

National Portrait Gallery - Lely

Inscription

Lely

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 .."

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
National Portrait Gallery - Lely

Subjects commemorated i

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

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Colonial Office - B04 - Sinclair

Colonial Office - B04 - Sinclair

SW1, Whitehall, Foreign Office

When we published we wrote: "Who is this man? His identity escapes both us and Hither and Thither. A politician from the 18th century (fr...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Wimbledon Library - Milton

Wimbledon Library - Milton

SW19, Wimbledon Hill Road, Wimbledon Library

Shakespeare to the left, Milton to the right.

1 subject commemorated
Unidentified head - gentleman

Unidentified head - gentleman

SW1, Cockspur Street, 25 (about)

This gentleman and his lady friend may just be anonymous, off-the-shelf heads but they look like portraits to us.

2 subjects commemorated
Morley mosaics - KEW - Mrs Mallet

Morley mosaics - KEW - Mrs Mallet

SE1, King Edward Walk, Morley College

These 10 portrait mosaics are the result of a project by Morley College to celebrate the achievements of significant women who have lived...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
Colonial Office - B12 - Elizabeth

Colonial Office - B12 - Elizabeth

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