chapter 1 Deification in the early century ‘Interesting, dignified, and impressive’1 Public monuments were scarce in Ireland at the begin- in 7 at the expense of Dublin Corporation, was ning of the nineteenth century and were largely con- carefully positioned on a high pedestal facing the seat fined to Dublin, which boasted several monumental of power in Dublin Castle, and in close proximity, but statues of English rulers, modelled in a weighty and with its back to the seat of learning in Trinity College. pompous late Baroque style. Cork had an equestrian A second equestrian statue, a portrait of George I by statue of George II, by John van Nost, the younger (fig. John van Nost, the elder (d.), was originally placed ), positioned originally on Tuckey’s Bridge and subse- on Essex Bridge (now Capel Street Bridge) in . It quently moved to the South Mall in .2 Somewhat was removed in , and was re-erected at the end of more unusually, Birr, in County Offaly, featured a sig- the century, in ,8 in the gardens of the Mansion nificant commemoration of Prince William Augustus, House, facing out over railings towards Dawson Street. Duke of Cumberland (–) (fig. ). Otherwise The pedestal carried the inscription: ‘Be it remembered known as the Butcher of Culloden,3 he was com- that, at the time when rebellion and disloyalty were the memorated by a portrait statue surmounting a Doric characteristics of the day, the loyal Corporation of the column, erected in Emmet Square (formerly Cumber- City of Dublin re-elevated this statue of the illustrious land Square) in .4 The statue was the work of House of Hanover’.9 A third equestrian statue, com- English sculptors Henry Cheere (–) and his memorating George II, executed by the younger John brother John (d.). The paucity of such monuments van Nost (fl.–, cousin of the elder), and erected and their isolated and elevated presentation augmented in , was to be seen in St Stephen’s Green (fig. ).10 their impact. Impossible to ignore, they became focal While the green was not yet open to the public and the points in a variety of ways – artistic, geographical and statue was located at its centre, late eighteenth-century propagandist. While serving as an artistic feature and engravings reveal that the monument was positioned on adding a stylistic dimension to their individual locations, such a substantial pedestal that it was clearly visible monumental statuary also had a role in town planning from outside the park.11 in relation to the movement of both pedestrians and All three royal portraits adopted a military presenta- vehicles. The issue of propaganda, however, appears tion in the guise of a Roman emperor. Such equestrian ultimately to have dominated. This is confirmed by the portrait imagery has a lengthy and revered legacy in art fact that not one of these portrait commemorations is history, in its line of descent from the statue of Marcus still in place.5 Aurelius ( –) on the Capitol in Rome. It Citizens of Dublin and those visiting the city in the witnessed a marked revival and popularity in the eigh- year would have witnessed the emphasis on royal teenth and nineteenth centuries.12 With its inherent portraits and most particularly equestrian monuments imperial and military connection, the equestrian format of which there were three. The equestrian statue of presented a very particular ideology and stood as a William III produced by Grinling Gibbons (–), representation of power, authority and control.13 Inde- the eminent English sculptor of Dutch origin, was the structibility and longevity are also suggested in this most prominently located, at what would become an monument-type, given that the Marcus Aurelius statue important junction in the centre of the city (fig. ). This is not only one of the few large-scale Roman bronzes was to be the most controversial public monument in to survive, but is the only surviving equestrian monu- the country, serving as a focal point for various propa- ment from ancient Rome. It was inevitable that such gandist displays.6 The statue, erected in College Green propagandist presence in the centre of Dublin would Nineteenth-century Irish Sculpture Deification in the early century . John van Nost, younger, George II, , South Mall, Cork. Engraving by W. H. Bartlett. Duke of Cumberland Pillar, , Emmet Square, Birr. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland. Grinling Gibbons, William III, , lead, College Green, Dublin. Reproduced by permission of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. John van Nost, younger, George II, , bronze, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland. Nineteenth-century Irish Sculpture Deification in the early century . Robert Smirke, design for Wellington Testimonial, Phoenix Park, c., RIBA Drawings and Archives Collections. Page and Turner, competition design for widening of Carlisle Bridge, Dublin, , Dublin Builder, August . Irish Architectural Archive. John Henry Foley, Lord Gough, , bronze, Phoenix Park, Dublin. Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland. promote opposition. From the time that they were put With three eighteenth-century equestrian monu- in place, and particularly in the aftermath of the Act of ments already in place in Dublin, further such statues Union, these monuments were attacked frequently, were proposed for the capital city in the course of the with the William III statue singled out for particularly nineteenth century. The first, in , was in the form aggressive attention. With annual celebrations activated of a Corporation resolution to celebrate the Jubilee of around the statue to mark the anniversary of the Battle George III, a proposal that seems not to have proceeded of the Boyne and the birthday of the king, this beyond the suggestion that a public subscription be monument was rarely out of the news.14 A description opened for the purpose of erecting such an equestrian of the festive rites that were performed throughout the statue.19 Another proposal was intended to commemo- eighteenth and into the nineteenth century reveals the rate the Duke of Wellington and formed part of the serious politicising of the undertaking. On these design of the Wellington Testimonial erected in the occasions, ‘it was usual for the Lord Lieutenant, Phoenix Park in (fig. ). The equestrian portrait, attended by the great officers of state, and of his house- however, was never carried out.20 In , the design hold, to proceed from the castle with drums beating, competition for the widening of Carlisle Bridge (now colours flying, and in all the magnificence of state O’Connell Bridge) in the centre of the city revealed a pomp, to march in grand procession round the statue . particular focus on equestrian portraiture. The bridge . which was formally decorated . and the garrison committee, in their guidelines to submitting artists, had turned out to fire a feu de joie’.15 In time these formali- highlighted the importance of incorporating sculptural ties were dispensed with, under the auspices of work.21 Proposals ranged from the placing of a single subsequent Lord Lieutenants. The Duke of Bedford equestrian statue at the centre of the bridge to the suspended the state procession in ,16 and in positioning of one equestrian statue at each of its four the Marquis of Wellesley proposed that the dressing of corners. In an elegant and sophisticated design, the the statue be discontinued, thus putting an end to joint submission of George Gordon Page of London additional equestrian monuments. Yet ultimately only friends. The commission was offered to John Henry what was described as ‘a disgraceful and dangerous and Richard Turner of Dublin proposed that Queen Lord Gough, among them, was to be commemorated Foley and the statue was unveiled in the Phoenix Park custom’.17 However it was simultaneously recognised Victoria and Prince Albert be depicted at one end of in this manner, and not in connection with the bridge, in (fig. ).22 In spite of the popularity of such com- that dressing and not dressing the statue were both the bridge, with the Duke of Wellington and Lord but in a separate and individual equestrian portrait memorative imagery outside the country, only one going to cause rioting in the capital18 and the statue Gough correspondingly placed at the other end, all four commissioned later in the century. Gough, who was equestrian statue was erected in Dublin in the course of remained a controversial presence for a further on horse-back (fig. ). It is evident therefore that, by the Irish born, had served as Field Marshall in the British the nineteenth century. Outside the capital city there hundred years. end of the century, Dublin might have displayed several army and the commemoration was financed by his was little interest in the equestrian format. Less than ten Nineteenth-century Irish Sculpture Deification in the early century . John van Nost, younger, comment on the absurd nature of ‘these pompous III, s, bronze, NGI on loan images . of defunct majesties, for whom no breathing from Dublin City Council. Photograph courtesy of the soul cares a halfpenny’ and identified a ‘simpering’ 32 National Gallery of Ireland. quality in the statues of George III and George IV. On the other hand his praise for the commemoration of . John Bacon, George III, , William III as someone who had ‘done something to marble, House of Lords (now Bank of Ireland), College Green, merit a statue’ was inauspicious and ultimately much Dublin, (now in St Patrick’s contested, as is evident in the many attacks on the statue College, Maynooth). Reproduced in the course of the century.33 by permission of the Royal Society The nineteenth century was to be identified as a of Antiquaries of Ireland. period of statuemania in Western countries as a result of the proliferation of monuments in the public spaces.