Bust

National Portrait Gallery - Reynolds

Inscription

Reynolds

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 - Reynolds

Subjects commemorated i

Sir Joshua Reynolds

Born in Plympton, Devonshire. Came to London in 1753. As a student of Italian...

Read More

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

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

National Portrait Gallery - Hogarth

National Portrait Gallery - Hogarth

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...

1 subject commemorated
Knightsbridge - 5 - Temple

Knightsbridge - 5 - Temple

SW1, Knightsbridge, 55 - 91

We original thought this was Gladstone (who had died only a few years before) but Lea Cornthwaite has suggested Frederick Temple, pointin...

1 subject commemorated
Marcus Garvey - Willesden Library

Marcus Garvey - Willesden Library

NW10, High Road, 95, Willesden Green Old Library Building

The bust was unveiled on Garvey's 129th birthday, and is now inside a glass case in the museum at the library, but we cannot discover who...

1 subject commemorated
Drill Hall - head 5 - African/Indian soldier

Drill Hall - head 5 - African/Indian 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