Bust

National Portrait Gallery - Walpole

Inscription

Walpole

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 - Walpole

Subjects commemorated i

Horatio ('Horace') Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford

Writer and collector. Youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole. His gothic novel ...

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

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Robert Devereux bust

Robert Devereux bust

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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
Knightsbridge - 1 - Edward VII

Knightsbridge - 1 - Edward VII

SW1, Knightsbridge, 55 - 91

This huge building, Grade 2 listed and in need of a clean, is actually 18 buildings behind a unifying facade designed by W. D. Caroe, in ...

1 subject commemorated
Colonial Office - B17 - Cook

Colonial Office - B17 - Cook

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
Keats House at Guy's - bust 1 - William Harvey

Keats House at Guy's - bust 1 - William Harvey

SE1, St Thomas Street, 24-26, Keats House

The collar, the hair-line, the facial growths - we hope you agree that this is Harvey.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Unknown bust 1

Unknown bust 1

SW1, South Eaton Place, 26

Bust 1, to the south, shows some damage but, we hope you agree, both busts represent the same man. But who? Only a few months later we c...