TRAFALGAR SQUARE’S black lions are treasured, albeit taken for granted, in much the same way that the animal paintings of their creator are among the nation’s most beloved, but disdained artworks. Sir Edwin’s Landseer’s The Monarch of the Glen, Dignity and Impudence and The Old Shepherd’s Chief Mourner exert emotional appeal, but are ignored in fashionable art circles.
The regal poise of the bronze quartet of lions beneath Nelson’s Column astounds the casual passer-by, even as others sprawl all over them to have pictures taken. This is part of their charm: the lions are imposing and dignified, but not too lofty to discourage affection. They are grand adornments of the street scene, yet reflective of the square’s friendly informality.
The commission, when it arrived in 1858, was controversial. Landseer was, after all, a painter, not a sculptor. However, he was the age’s foremost animal artist, renowned for his painstaking approach to anatomical detail. He was a favourite in Society’s upper circles and his works had mass appeal. He was also fascinated by lions. He had visited the Tower of London menagerie, dissected the big cats, sketched and painted them.
Frederic G. Stephens’s 1880 biography recounts an evening when friends assembled in Landseer’s home in St John’s Wood, London. The visitors were somewhat alarmed when the gathering was interrupted by a manservant who, with Jeevesian imperturbability, entered the room to ask of his master: ‘Did you order a lion, sir?’ They were relieved to learn that an elderly lion had died at the Zoological Gardens in nearby Regent’s Park and it was clearly a natural response to place it in a cart and drive it to the artist’s gates. From it arose the fine study The Old Lion, Nero.
Denne historien er fra May 18, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra May 18, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
