Bust

National Portrait Gallery - Roubiliac

Inscription

Roubiliac

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 - Roubiliac

Subjects commemorated i

Louis François Roubiliac

Sculptor. Born Lyon. Made his reputation in 1749 with the tomb of the Duke of...

Read More

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

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Greenwich roundels - Drake

Greenwich roundels - Drake

SE10, King William Walk, Discover Greenwich (Royal Naval College, Pepys Building)

The roundels on the north, river-facing, frontage are occupied by, left to right: Anson, Drake, Cook, Howard, Blake, Benbow, Sandwich, Ro...

1 subject commemorated
Bermondsey Library - 1 - Homer

Bermondsey Library - 1 - Homer

SE16, Spa Road, Old Bermondsey Library / Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist centre

We would not describe this face as ugly so it can't be Socrates. We reckon it's Homer - he's often shown with a beanie hat.

1 subject commemorated
RIPWC - Turner

RIPWC - Turner

W1, Piccadilly, 192-196

The building by E. R. Robson was erected for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour, founded in 1831 (the crest in the centre of...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Charles Lamb - Giltspur Street

Charles Lamb - Giltspur Street

EC1, Giltspur Street, 10

Ornamental Passions have a good post on this memorial, saying that Lamb is shown in his school uniform and that Reynolds-Stephens designe...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Knightsbridge - 3 - Roberts

Knightsbridge - 3 - Roberts

SW1, Knightsbridge, 55 - 91

Stephen Brasher suggested that this is Field Marshal Lord Roberts and, having examined a number of portraits, especially one here, we agree.

1 subject commemorated

Previously viewed

David Ben-Gurion

David Ben-Gurion

Politician. Born David Grüen in Ptońsk, Russian Empire (modern day Poland). In Palestine in 1919 he founded a socialist party and led the Mapai (Labour) party from 1930. He participated in the St J...

Person, Politics & Administration, Israel/Palestine, Russia

1 memorial
W. W. Busby

W. W. Busby

Name on one of the main panels of the East Ham WW1 memorial.

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
SHAEF, Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, WW2

SHAEF, Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, WW2

Much of the planning for D-Day was carried out at Norfolk House. Eisenhower arrived there in January 1944 to take on the role of Supreme Allied Commander.  c.April 1944 SHAEF moved out to Camp Grif...

Group, Armed Forces

5 memorials
C. Parker
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Leonard C. Bareford

Leonard C. Bareford

Died aged five years. Andrew Behan has kindly carried out some research on this little boy. Leonard Charles Bareford was born in 1912 in Poplar, London, a son of Charles Leonard Bareford and Ethel ...

Person

War dead non-military, WW1
1 memorial