The Albert Memorial is situated in Kensington Gardens, London, England, directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. See also Kensington Gardens South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide, Australia Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Royal Albert Hall is an Arts venue situated in the Knightsbridge area of the City of Westminster, London, England, best known It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert who died of typhoid in 1861. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Typhoid fever, also known as enteric fever, bilious fever, Yellow Jack or commonly just typhoid, is an illness caused by the Bacterium Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic revival style. Sir George Gilbert Scott ( 13 July 1811 &ndash 27 March, 1878) was an English Architect of the Victorian Age The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began Opened in 1872, with the statue of Albert ceremonially "seated" in 1875, the memorial consists of an ornate canopy or pavilion containing a statue of Prince Albert facing south. The memorial is 176 feet tall, took over ten years to complete, and cost £120,000.
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Commissioning and design
When Prince Albert died on 14 December 1861 at the age of 42, the thoughts of those in government and public life turned to the form and shape of a suitable memorial, with several possibilities, such as establishing a university or international scholarships, being mentioned. John Henry Foley ( 24 May 1818 &ndash 27 August 1874) was an Irish sculptor. Sir Thomas Brock KCB RA ( March 1, 1847 - August 22, 1922) was an English sculptor. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Queen Victoria, however, soon made it clear that she desired a memorial 'in the common sense of the word'. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The initiative was taken by the Lord Mayor of London, William Cubitt, who, at a meeting on 14 January 1862, appointed a committee to raise funds for a design to be approved by the Queen. William Cubitt (1791 &ndash 1863 was an English engineering contractor and politician The control and future course of the project, though, moved away from Mansion House, and ended up being controlled by people close to the Queen, rather than the Mayor. Mansion House is the Official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in London, England. Those who determined the overall direction from that point on were the Queen's secretary, General Charles Grey, and the keeper of the privy purse, Sir Charles Phipps. Sir Charles Grey ( March 15 1804 &ndash March 31 1870) was a British army officer member of the British House of Commons The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King/Queen (or Financial Secretary to the King is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Household of the Later, following the deaths of Grey and Phipps, their roles were taken on by Sir Henry Ponsonby and Sir Thomas Biddulph. Sir Henry Frederick Ponsonby GCB ( 10 December 1825 &ndash 21 November 1895) was the son the British Army general Sir Eventually, a four-man steering committee was established, led by Sir Charles Lock Eastlake. Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, RA, ( 17 November 1793 – 24 December 1865) was an English painter, gallery Eastlake had overall control for the project until his death in 1865. An initial proposal for an obelisk memorial failed, and this was followed in May 1862 by the appointment of a seven-strong committee of architects. An obelisk (from Greek ὀβελίσκος - obeliskos, diminutive of ὀβελός - obelos, "spit nail pointed pillar" A range of designs were submitted and examined. Two of the designs (those by Philip Charles Hardwick and George Gilbert Scott) were passed to the Queen in February 1863 for a final decision to be made. Philip Charles Hardwick (1822-1892 was a notable English Architect of the 19th century who was once described as "a careful and industrious student of mediaeval Sir George Gilbert Scott ( 13 July 1811 &ndash 27 March, 1878) was an English Architect of the Victorian Age Two months later, after lengthy deliberations and negotiations with the government over the costs of the memorial, Scott's design was formally approved in April 1863.
Statue of Albert
The central statue of Albert, by John Henry Foley, was ceremonially "seated" in 1875, three years after the memorial opened. John Henry Foley ( 24 May 1818 &ndash 27 August 1874) was an Irish sculptor. The statue faces to the south, towards the Royal Albert Hall. Albert is holding a catalogue of The Great Exhibition, and is robed as a Knight of the Garter. The Great Exhibition, also known as Crystal Palace, was an international exhibition that was held in Hyde Park, London, England, from 1 The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an Order of chivalry, or Knighthood, originating in Medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients
Frieze of Parnassus
The central part of the memorial is surrounded by the elaborate sculptural Frieze of Parnassus (named after Mount Parnassus, the favorite resting place for the Greek muses), which depicts 169 individual composers, architects, poets, painters, and sculptors. The Frieze of Parnassus is a large sculpted stone Frieze circling the podium or base of the Albert Memorial in London England Mythology Mount Parnassus is named after Parnassos the son of the Nymph Kleodora and the man Kleopompus. Musicians and poets were placed on the south side, with painters on the east side, sculptors on the west side, and architects on the north side. Henry Hugh Armstead carved the figures on the south and east side, the painters, musicians and poets (80 in total), and grouped them by national schools. Henry Hugh Armstead ( June 18 1828 - December 4 1905) English Sculptor and illustrator was born in London, son of a heraldic John Birnie Philip carved the figures on the west and north side, the sculptors and architects, and arranged them in chronological order. John Birnie Philip ( 23 November 1824 - 2 March 1875) was a notable English Sculptor of the 19th century
Allegorical sculptures
At the corners of the central area, and at the corners of the outer area, there are two allegorical sculpture programs: four groups depicting Victorian industrial arts and sciences (agriculture, commerce, engineering and manufacturing), and four more groups representing Europe, Asia, Africa and The Americas at the four corners, each continent-group including several ethnographic figures and a large animal. Allegorical sculpture refers to sculptures that symbolize and particularly personify abstract ideas Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Commerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, "making by hand" is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America (A camel for Africa, a buffalo for the Americas, an elephant for Asia and a bull for Europe. Camels are Even-toed ungulates within the Genus Camelus. The Dromedary, one-humped or Arabian camel has a single hump and the The American bison ( Bison bison) is a Bovine Mammal, also commonly known as the American buffalo. Elephants ( family: Elephantidae) are large land Mammals of the order Proboscidea. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family )
 "Asia" group |
 "Africa" group |
 "America" group |
.jpg/120px-Europe_group_(Albert_Memorial).jpg) "Europe" group |
.jpg/93px-Agriculture_group_(Albert_Memorial).jpg) "Agriculture" group |
.jpg/81px-Commerce_group_(Albert_Memorial).jpg){kind=spacer} "Commerce" group |
.jpg/96px-Engineering_group_(Albert_Memorial).jpg) "Engineering" group |
.jpg/91px-Manufactures_group_(Albert_Memorial).jpg){kind=spacer} "Manufactures" group |
Canopy
The mosaics for each side and beneath the canopy of the Memorial were designed by Clayton and Bell and manufactured by the firm of Salviati from Murano, Venice. John Henry Foley ( 24 May 1818 &ndash 27 August 1874) was an Irish sculptor. William Theed, also known as William Theed the younger (1804 Trentham, Staffordshire – September 9, 1891, Kensington Oo_%281%29jpg|thumb|right|"The Eagle Slayer" by John Bell Patrick MacDowell RA ( August 12, 1799 &ndash December 9, 1870) was a sculptor from Belfast. William Calder Marshall ( 18 March 1813 - 16 June 1894) was a Scottish sculptor. Thomas Thornycroft (1815&mdash1885 was a British engineer and sculptor Henry Weekes, RA ( 14 January 1807 – 1877) was an English sculptor, best known for his portraiture. Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient firms of English Stained glass manufacturers during the latter half of the 19th century Salviati can mean The Salviati were a prominent 15th century Florentine-Roman banking family
The memorial's canopy features several mosaics as external and internal decorative artworks. Each of the four external mosiacs show a central allegorical figure of the four arts (poetry, painting, architecture and sculpture), supported by two historical figures either side. Painting (pān'tīng in Art, is the practice of applying Color to a Surface (support base such as e The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation The historical figures are: King David and Homer (POESIS - poetry), Apelles and Raphael (painting), Solomon and Ictinus (architecture), and Phidias and Michelangelo (sculpture). David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the Raphael Sanzio, usually known by his first name alone (in Italian Raffaello) (April 6 or March 28 1483 – April 6 1520 was an Italian painter and King Solomon ( Ge'ez: ስለሞን Arabic: ar سليمان, Sulayman, all from the Triliteral root S-L-M, "peace" Iktinos (or Ictinus) was an Architect active in the mid 5th century BC Phidias (or Pheidias; in Ancient Greek,; c[[ 80 BC]] c 430 BC) son of Charmides was an ancient Greek Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni Two biographies were published of him during his lifetime One of them by Giorgio Vasari, proposed that he was the pinnacle of all Materials used in the mosaics include enamel, polished stone, agate, onyx, jasper, cornelian, crystal, marble, and granite. In a discussion of Material science, enamel (or vitreous enamel or porcelain enamel in U This article is about the semi-precious stone For other uses see Agate (disambiguation. Onyx is a Cryptocrystalline form of Quartz. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color (save some shades such as purple or blue JasPer is a project to create a reference implementation of the codec specified in the JPEG-2000 Part-1 standard (ie Cornelian is a red variety of Chalcedony, which is cryptocrystalline Quartz. In Materials science, a crystal is a Solid in which the constituent Atoms Molecules or Ions are packed in a regularly ordered repeating Marble is a nonfoliated Metamorphic rock resulting from the Metamorphism of Limestone, composed mostly of Calcite (a crystalline form of Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock.
Around the canopy, below its cornice, is a dedicatory legend split into four parts, one for each side. The legend reads: Queen Victoria And Her People • To The Memory Of Albert Prince Consort • As A Tribute Of Their Gratitude • For A Life Devoted To The Public Good.
The pillars and niches of the canopy feature eight statues representing the practical arts and sciences: Astronomy, Geology, Chemistry, Geometry (on the four pillars) and Rhetoric, Medicine, Philosophy and Physiology (in the four niches). Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study Geology (from Greek γη gê, "earth" and λόγος Logos, "speech" lit Chemistry (from Egyptian kēme (chem meaning "earth") is the Science concerned with the composition structure and properties Geometry ( Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth metria = measure is a part of Mathematics concerned with questions of size shape and relative position Rhetoric has had many definitions no simple definition can do it justice Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Physiology (from Greek grc φύσις physis, "nature origin" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the mechanical physical
Near the top of the canopy's tower are eight statues of the moral and Christian virtues, including the four cardinal virtues and the three theological virtues. In some Christian traditions there are four cardinal virtues: Prudence - to judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time The three Theological Virtues listed in the Bible are Faith ( - steadfastness in belief Hope ( - expectation of and desire The virtues are: Faith, Hope, Charity and Humility, and Fortitude, Prudence, Justice and Temperance. The three Theological Virtues listed in the Bible are Faith ( - steadfastness in belief Hope ( - expectation of and desire Hope is one of the three Theological virtues in Christian tradition In Christian Theology charity, or love ( Agapē) means an unlimited loving-kindness toward all others The seven virtues are a set of seven cardinal virtues recognized in Christian Philosophy, especially Virtue ethics, and Theology. In some Christian traditions there are four cardinal virtues: Prudence - to judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time In some Christian traditions there are four cardinal virtues: Prudence - to judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time See also Justice Justice is one of the four Cardinal virtues in classical European philosophy and Roman Catholicism Temperance ( Sophrosyne in Greek) is the practice of Moderation. Humility is considered to be annexed to the virtue of temperance. Above these, towards the top of tower, are gilded angels raising their arms heavenwards. At the very top of the tower is a gold cross.
 The exterior mosaic of Phidias and Michelangelo |
 View of the internal mosaics and the cornicing |
 Statues of the virtues on the canopy tower |
Foundations
Below the Memorial is a large undercroft, consisting of numerous brick arches, which serves as the foundation that supports the large weight of the stone and metal used to build the monument. Phidias (or Pheidias; in Ancient Greek,; c[[ 80 BC]] c 430 BC) son of Charmides was an ancient Greek Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni Two biographies were published of him during his lifetime One of them by Giorgio Vasari, proposed that he was the pinnacle of all An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since Medieval times
Architects
The memorial was planned by a committee of architects led by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Sir George Gilbert Scott ( 13 July 1811 &ndash 27 March, 1878) was an English Architect of the Victorian Age The other architects, some of whom died during the course of the project, or were replaced, included Carlo Marochetti, Thomas Leverton Donaldson, William Tite, Sydney Smirke, James Pennethorne, Matthew Digby Wyatt, Philip C. Hardwick, William Burn and Edward Middleton Barry. Baron Carlo (Charles Marochetti (1805-1867 was a sculptor born in Turin, but raised in Paris as a French citizen Thomas Leverton Donaldson (1795 &ndash 1885 was a prominent English Architect during the 19th century Sir William Tite, CB (February 1798 &ndash 20 April 1873) was an English Architect who served as President of the Royal Institute Sydney Smirke ( 1798 - 8 December[[ 877]] was London born English Architect during the 19th century Sir James Pennethorne ( 4 June 1801 &ndash 1 September 1871) was a notable 19th century English Architect and planner Sir (Matthew Digby Wyatt ( 28 July 1820 &ndash 21 May 1877) was a British Architect and Art historian who became Philip Charles Hardwick (1822-1892 was a notable English Architect of the 19th century who was once described as "a careful and industrious student of mediaeval William Burn ( 20 December 1789 &ndash 15 February[[ 870]] was a Scottish architect pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style Edward Middleton Barry ( 7 June 1830 &ndash 27 January 1880) was an English Architect of the 19th century
Sculptors
The sculptor Henry Hugh Armstead coordinated this massive effort among many artists of the Royal Academy, including Thomas Thornycroft (carved the "Commerce" group), Patrick MacDowell (carved the "Europe" group, his last major work), John Bell (carved the "America" group), John Henry Foley (carved the "Asia" group and started the statue of Albert), William Theed (carved the "Africa" group), William Calder Marshall, James Redfern (carved the four Christian and four moral virtues including Fortitude[1]), John Lawlor (carved the "Engineering" group) and Henry Weekes (carved the "Manufactures" group). Henry Hugh Armstead ( June 18 1828 - December 4 1905) English Sculptor and illustrator was born in London, son of a heraldic This article refers to an art institution in London For other meanings of Royal Academy see Royal Academy (disambiguation. Thomas Thornycroft (1815&mdash1885 was a British engineer and sculptor Patrick MacDowell RA ( August 12, 1799 &ndash December 9, 1870) was a sculptor from Belfast. Oo_%281%29jpg|thumb|right|"The Eagle Slayer" by John Bell John Henry Foley ( 24 May 1818 &ndash 27 August 1874) was an Irish sculptor. William Theed, also known as William Theed the younger (1804 Trentham, Staffordshire – September 9, 1891, Kensington William Calder Marshall ( 18 March 1813 - 16 June 1894) was a Scottish sculptor. James Frank Redfern (1838&ndash1876 Sculptor, was born at Hartington in Derbyshire, in 1838 Henry Weekes, RA ( 14 January 1807 – 1877) was an English sculptor, best known for his portraiture. The Scottish sculptor William Calder Marshall carved the "Agriculture" group. The figure of Albert himself, although started by Foley, was completed by Thomas Brock, in what was Brock's first major work. Sir Thomas Brock KCB RA ( March 1, 1847 - August 22, 1922) was an English sculptor.
Armstead created some 80 of the figure sculptures on the southern and eastern sides of the memorial's podium. The north and west sides were carved by the sculptor John Birnie Philip. John Birnie Philip ( 23 November 1824 - 2 March 1875) was a notable English Sculptor of the 19th century Armstead also sculpted the bronze statues representing Astronomy, Chemistry, Rhetoric, and Medicine.
Henry Weekes carved the allegorical work Manufactures (1864–70). An allegory (from αλλος allos "other" and el αγορευειν agoreuein "to speak in public" is a figurative mode of representation Although Weekes was not on Queen Victoria's original list of sculptors, being selected to work on the project only after John Gibson declined to participate, his group occupies the preferable south side of the finished monument. John Gibson, (June 19 1790 -) was a Welsh sculptor. Life Early life He was born near Conwy, Wales, his father A central female figure holds an hourglass, symbolising the critical nature of time to industry, while an ironworker stands at his anvil and a potter and weaver offer their wares. An hourglass, also known as a sandglass, sand timer or sand clock, is a device for the measurement of Time. [2][3]
Later history
.jpg/250px-Albert_Memorial_(railings).jpg)
By the late 1990s the Memorial had fallen into a state of some decay. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 A thorough restoration was carried out by Mowlem which included cleaning, repainting and re-gilding the entire monument as well as carrying out structural repairs. Mowlem was founded in 1822 and grew to be one of the largest construction and civil engineering companies in the United Kingdom. In the process the cross on top of the monument, which had been put on sideways during an earlier restoration attempt, was returned to its correct position. Some of the restoration, including repairs to damaged friezes, were of limited success.
The centrepiece of the Memorial is a seated figure of Prince Albert. Following restoration, this is now covered in gold leaf. Metal leaf is a thin foil used for decoration It is also called composition leaf or schlagmetal. For eighty years the statue had been covered in black paint. Various theories had existed that it was deliberately blackened during World War I to prevent it becoming a target for Zeppelin bombing raids or domestic anti-German sentiment. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A Zeppelin is a type of Rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century based on designs he had outlined However, English Heritage's research prior to the restoration suggests that the black coating predates 1914 and may have been a response to atmospheric pollution that had destroyed the original gold leaf surface. English Heritage is a Non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government ( Department for Culture Media and Sport) with a broad remit of Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort
Further restoration work, including re-pointing the steps surrounding the memorial, commenced in the summer of 2006. For the duration of that work, there is no public access within the ornate surrounding fence.
Architectural influences
"My idea in designing the Memorial," Gilbert Scott wrote, "was to erect a kind of ciborium to protect a statue of the Prince; and its special characteristic was that the ciborium was designed in some degree on the principles of the ancient shrines. Oo_%281%29jpg|thumb|right|"The Eagle Slayer" by John Bell A ciborium (plural ciboria) is a covered container used in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and related churches to store the consecrated hosts A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’ also used as a desk like the French bureau) was originally a container usually made of precious materials used These shrines were models of imaginary buildings, such as had never in reality been erected; and my idea was to realise one of these imaginary structures with its precious materials, its inlaying, its enamels, etc. etc. "
The Albert Memorial was not the first revivalist design for a canopied statue in a Gothic style - the Scott Monument in Edinburgh had been designed by George Meikle Kemp over twenty years earlier. The Scott Monument is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott (not to be confused with the National Monument) Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. George Meikle Kemp (1795 in Moorfoot, Peeblesshire, Scotland – March 6 1844 in Edinburgh) was a Scottish joiner, draftsman
The popularity of the Prince Consort led to several other "Albert Memorials". There is some controversy as to whether the most notable of these, the memorial in Manchester in Albert Square in front of the town hall, which was completed before the Kensington Gardens memorial, was influenced by the publication of Scott's design or whether the architect Thomas Worthington came to his similar canopy design independently. Albert Square is a public Plaza in Manchester, England. It lies in front of Manchester Town Hall and features the monuments Thomas Worthington (1826 &ndash 1909 was an eminent 19th-century English Architect, particularly associated with public buildings in his native Salford
External links
- The Albert Memorial at the Survey of London online:
- The foundations under the memorial
- BBC News story about the restoration
References
- ^ 'Albert Memorial: The memorial', Survey of London: volume 38: South Kensington Museums Area (1975), pp. See John Stow for the 1598 work 'Survey of London' The Survey of London is a research project to produce a comprehensive historical 159-176. Date accessed: 20 February 2008.
- ^ Stevens T. 'Weekes, Henry (1807–1877)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004). Oxford University Press. Retrieved on 2008-03-17. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger
- ^ Sheppard FHW, ed. 'Albert Memorial: The memorial', pp. 159-176, in: Survey of London (Vol. 38: South Kensington Museums Area) (1975). English Heritage. Retrieved on 2008-03-17. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger
- Mountaineering Club Journal, Imperial College, p41, June 1964
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