Statue

V&A façade - Cosway

Erection date: 1909

Inscription

R. Cosway

Site: Victoria & Albert Museum façade (38 memorials)

SW7, Cromwell Road

Excluding the allegories (such as Knowledge) there are 36 statues on the two public façades of the V&A Museum, on Exhibition Road and Cromwell Road. This building was designed by Aston Webb and built 1899-1909. Each statue has the subject's name on a label beneath the feet and the sculptor's name inscribed in the wall of the niche to the right of the statue. Starting in Cromwell Road and reading right to left:

Group of 6 British architects:
Chas. Barry
W. Chambers
Chrisr. Wren
Inigo Jones
John Thorpe
Wykeham

Group of 5 British painters:
J. E. Millais
Ld. Leighton
G. F. Watts
J. Constable
J. M. W. Turner

And flanking the entrance:
Queen Alexandra (to the right)
King Edward VII (to the left)

Albert (below the arch)
Victoria (in the arch)

On either side of the arch, at eye level there is a foundation stone:
Stone laid by Edward VII (to the right)
Stone laid by Victoria (to the left)

Group of 5 British painters:
R. Cosway
G. Romney
T. Gainsborough
J. Reynolds
W. Hogarth

Group of 6 British sculptors:
Alfred Stevens
John H. Foley
F. L. Chantrey
John Flaxman
John Bacon
Grinlg. Gibbons

And around the corner in Exhibition Road:

Group of 5 British craftsmen:
William Morris
Roger Payne
J. Wedgwood
T. Chippendale
Thos. Tompion

Group of 5 British craftsmen:
Huntingn. Shaw
George Heriot
William Caxton
William Torel
St. Dunstan

Note that there are more Johns than women but that's not difficult since, excluding royalty, there are no women!

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
V&A façade - Cosway

Subjects commemorated i

Richard Cosway

Born Tiverton, Devon Painter of miniatures, the picture is a self-portrait.

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
V&A façade - Cosway

Created by i

Earnest George Gillick

Also responsible for, among others, the Scott Monument in Edinburgh, the Ceno...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
V&A façade - Cosway

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Jose de San Martin statue

Jose de San Martin statue

SW1, Belgrave Square, Opposite Halkin Street

The statue is behind a locked gate, so we cannot tell if there is an inscription on the plinth at the rear.

1 subject commemorated, 6 creators
Sarah Siddons statue

Sarah Siddons statue

W2, Paddington Green

Oh dear, the poor girl needs to spend some more time in make-up. The pose is inspired by Reynolds' 1784 painting 'Mrs Siddons as the Trag...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
V&A façade - Shaw

V&A façade - Shaw

SW7, Cromwell Road

Excluding the allegories (such as Knowledge) there are 36 statues on the two public façades of the V&A Museum, on Exhibition Road and...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
George II statue at Greenwich

George II statue at Greenwich

SE10, Old Royal Naval College, Grand Square

This statue is made of a single piece of marble weighing 11 tons. As was the fashion at the time the king is depicted wearing the militar...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
6 Burlington Gardens - Locke

6 Burlington Gardens - Locke

W1, Burlington Gardens, 6

There are 22 statues on the façade of this building. Each is labelled with his (always 'his') surname. There are 12 at the top up against...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator