Statues - Hither & Thither

 

Description

Series of eight bronze lamp bearers, in the shape of almost nude female figures. There are two type, one is named even (evening), holding a lamp in her right hand, with her other hand to her head, and the other morn (morning) holding a lamp in her left hand and clutching some flowers. Under their names is the text the gift of t. walter harding 1903.

Even

Morn

They were originally arranged in a circle around the equestrian statue of the Black Prince. In 1956 they were put in two rows of four. In the 1990s, it was planned to remove them altogether, as Victorian public art was considered by many to be worthless. However, this was resisted and they were placed in their present positions of a three-quarter circle.

The eight lamp bearers are most controversial feature of the City Square and attracted critical letters to the Yorkshire Post when unveiled in 1899.

Signature

In the background the equestrian statue of the Black Prince

Sculptor

• Alfred Drury (Islington, London 1859 - 1944), British architectural sculptor (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

• Wikipedia, City Square, Leeds.
• Leeds-List, The Leeds Welcome Art Trail.
• Bob Speel, Sculpture in Leeds City Square.
• The Victorian Web, Evening and Morning.
• Yorkshire Post - 31 January 2014, Artist whose new sculpture shocked Victorian audience.
• Leeds Mercury - Wednesday 16 September 1903 (British Newspaper Archive).
• The Graphic - Saturday 19 September 1903 (British Newspaper Archive).

Tags

• Town: Leeds
• County: West Yorkshire
• Subdivision: Yorkshire & Humberside
• Country: Great Britain
• Drury, Alfred
• Evening
• Lamp bearer
• Morning

Locatie (N 53°47'47" - W 1°32'51") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

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