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!

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:
V&A façade - Cosway

Subjects commemorated i

Richard Cosway

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

Read More

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...

Read More

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

Earl Haig

Earl Haig

SW1, Whitehall

The stance of the horse has been criticised since the position of the hind legs suggest urination. Probably not what was intended. We th...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Sir Charles Napier statue

Sir Charles Napier statue

WC2, Trafalgar Square

Criticised at the time as the "worst piece of sculpture in England".

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
V&A façade - Morris

V&A façade - Morris

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
Prince Edward Duke of Kent

Prince Edward Duke of Kent

W1, Park Crescent

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, IV son of George III, born Nov. 2 1765, died Jan. 23 1820. Erected by the supporters of the numerous charit...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
6 Burlington Gardens - Cicero

6 Burlington Gardens - Cicero

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

Previously viewed

Penge war memorial

Penge war memorial

SE20, High Street, Penge Recreation Ground

The WW2 civilian list identifies 14 people who worked in civil defence and what their role was. Usually lists of civilian dead give the f...

War dead, Civilian war dead | WW1, WW2
743 subjects commemorated, 2 creators