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The Great Britain Guide

Museums · London

Equestrian statue "Physical Energy"

Modern♿ Wheelchair accessible

Equestrian statue "Physical Energy" — Public artwork (statue) by George Frederic Watts.

Equestrian statue "Physical Energy", museums in London

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Best time of year
Year-round
Nearest railway station
Lancaster Gate · 0.6 km
  • Family-friendly
  • Wheelchair accessible

About

Equestrian statue "Physical Energy" is a place of interest in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1907. Wheelchair accessible (per OpenStreetMap). Wikidata describes it as: "Public artwork (statue) by George Frederic Watts.". Coordinates: 51.5068°, -0.1783°.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

Physical Energy is a bronze equestrian statue by the English artist George Frederic Watts. Watts was principally a painter, but also worked on sculptures from the 1870s. Physical Energy was first cast in 1902, two years before his death, and was intended to be Watts's memorial to "unknown worth". Watts said it was a symbol of "that restless physical impulse to seek the still unachieved in the domain of material things". The original plaster maquette is at the Watts Gallery, and there are four full-size bronze casts: one in London, one in Cape Town, one in Harare and one that will be sited at Watts Gallery – Artists' Village in Compton, Surrey. Other smaller bronze casts were also made after Watts's death.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The sculpture is based on Watts's earlier colossal bronze equestrian statue of Hugh Lupus, 1st Earl of Chester, commissioned in 1870 by his namesake Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, later 1st Duke of Westminster. The earlier work was completed in 1883-1884 and displayed at Eaton Hall, Cheshire. That statue was itself based on equestrian elements of the Elgin Marbles. Watts started work on Physical Energy in the early 1880s. The original 3.5 ton gesso grosso model (made of plaster mixed with glue size and hemp or tow) is at the Watts Gallery at Compton near Guildford. He was assisted by George Thompson and Louis Deuchars. The sculpture depicts a nude male figure on a rearing horse, set on a rectangular…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.5068, -0.1783
District
Westminster
Parish
Westminster, unparished area
Postcode
W2 3XA
Parliamentary constituency
Kensington and Bayswater
Established
1907
Nearest railway station
Lancaster Gate0.6 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Equestrian statue "Physical Energy"?
Equestrian statue "Physical Energy" is in London, United Kingdom (postcode W2 3XA), in the parish of Westminster, unparished area.
When was Equestrian statue "Physical Energy" built?
Built or established in 1907.
How do I get to Equestrian statue "Physical Energy"?
The nearest railway station is Lancaster Gate, about 0.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode W2 3XA.