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Statue of Robert Clive, Westminster
This large bronze statue depicts Robert Clive in military uniform, atop a massive plinth. In the manner of classical Greek architecture, the undulating structure of the plinth prevents the viewer from focussing and draws attention instead to the principal figure, who looks away into the the distance with a grim expression. The figure wears well-worn boots, indicating battle experience, while the prominent stripes on the sleeves indicate achievement and rank. In one hand, the figure holds a curved Indo-Islamic ceremonial sword or talwar, signalling the conquest of India, while the other hand clutches rolled up papers, possibly underlining the legal title to possessions won by the sword. In front, the plinth merely describes the person depicted as 'Clive', indicating his self-explanatory eminence. Contradicting this, the three other sides of the plinth display narrative friezes in bas-relief, showcasing Clive's military and political achievements in India: at Arcot, Plassey and Allahabad. The Allahabad scene depicts Clive receiving the Grant of Diwani, mistitled as the Grant of Bengal, from the defeated Mughal emperor. In the bas-relief of this scene, based on Benjamin West's 1818 painting , the Mughal emperor fades into the background while Clive and his British companions are carved prominently, to emphasize their centrality to the story.