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Cast in Stone

Statues and memories of empire in post-imperial France and Britain

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Nelson's Column

Monument

Media metadata | Métadonnées multimédias

has description | a une description: Depicts a standing figure of Nelson, on top of a high Corinthina pillar with an elaborate capitol. Nelson is in a dynamic standing posture, wearing eighteenth-century military attire, and holding a sword in his left hand. The sleeve of the amputated arm is tucked into the lapels of the court.

The four sides of the pedestal are decorated with four bronze reliefs, created using captured and melted French cannons. The south-facing panel, titled 'The death of Nelson' depicts a soldier with African features, holding a musket. David Olusoga notes how contemporary observers noticed this figure, their African features, and commented on it positively.

Four bronze Barbary lions were added to the base of the column much later, in 1867.
was commissioned by | a été commandé par: Nelson Memorial Committee
funded by | financé par: Private funding (subscription); Public funding (state)
has current location | a pour localisation actuelle: City of Westminster; London; United Kingdom
has dimension (height (cm)) | a pour dimension (hauteur (cm)): 5,159
was classified by | a été inscrite, classée, protégée par le biais de: Grade I

depicts | figure: Nelson, Horatio
shows visual item | présente l'item visuel: man
consists of | consiste en: stone
was produced by | a été produit par: Railton, William; Baily, Edward Hodges; Landseer, Edwin Henry; Watson, Musgrave Lewthwaite; Ternouth, John; Woodington, William Frederick; Carew, John Edward

shows visual item | présente l'item visuel: battle scene; lion; African individual; man
consists of | consiste en: granite; bronze

is referred to by | est référencé par: Wikipedia; Historic England; BFI Player - 'Trafalgar Day London 1900'; The Historic Dockyard Chatham - Black History Month; The National Archives - Entry for George Ryan; David Olusoga, Black and British: A Forgotten History (London: Pan Macmillan, 2016)