Francis Bird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francis Bird
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Francis Bird, miniature, oil on copper
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| Born | 1667 London
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| Died | 1731 London
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| Nationality | English |
| Education | Flanders under Cozins, Rome under Le Gros, England under Gibbons and Cibber |
| Known for | Sculpture |
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Notable work
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The Conversion of St Paul, Queen Anne, St Paul's Cathedral, London |
| Spouse(s) | Hester Bird |
Francis Bird (born 1667, died 1731) was a very important English sculptor. He is famous for the amazing sculptures he created for Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral in London.
Some of his well-known works include a tomb for the writer William Congreve in Westminster Abbey. He also carved large statues of the apostles and evangelists on the outside of St Paul's Cathedral. You can also see his statue of King Henry VI at Eton College. Even though he was very successful, Francis Bird didn't sculpt much later in his life. He inherited money and started a business importing marble.
Contents
Francis Bird's Early Life and Training
Francis Bird was born in 1667 in a part of central London called St James's Parish.
When he was about eleven years old, he traveled to Flanders (which is now part of Belgium). There, he began to study sculpture with artists named Jan and Henri Cosyns. After that, he went on his first trip to Rome, Italy, to learn even more from a sculptor called Le Gros.
He came back to London around 1689. He had been away for so long that he found it hard to speak English! In London, he worked with famous sculptors like Grinling Gibbons and Caius Gabriel Cibber. A few years later, he went back to Rome for nine more months to continue his studies.
Francis Bird's Work at St Paul's Cathedral
Francis Bird is most famous for his incredible sculptures at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
The Conversion of St Paul Sculpture
In 1706, he created a huge sculpture for the main entrance of the cathedral. This artwork, called "The Conversion of St Paul," was 64 feet long and 17 feet high! It showed eight large figures, with six of them on horseback. This was a very challenging and important project.
Queen Anne Statue
In 1711, Bird carved a statue of Queen Anne along with four other figures. This statue was placed in St Paul's Cathedral yard in 1712. The original statue was later moved to St Leonards-on-Sea to protect it, and a new one was put in its place at the cathedral.
Apostles and Evangelists
Between 1712 and 1713, he made two more large panels for the west entrance of the cathedral. Then, in 1721, he carved tall statues of various apostles and evangelists. Each of these statues was nearly 12 feet (about 3.6 meters) high! They stand on the west front and south side of the cathedral.
Other Notable Sculptures by Francis Bird
Francis Bird created many other important sculptures and memorials across England. Here are some of them:
- A memorial for Thomas Shadwell (1692) in Westminster Abbey.
- A memorial for Richard Busby (1695) also in Westminster Abbey.
- A statue of Henry VIII (1703) at St Bartholomew's Gate in Smithfield, London.
- A statue of Queen Anne (1706) in Kingston-upon-Thames.
- A memorial for Robert Killigrew (1707) in Westminster Abbey.
- A memorial for the Duke of Newcastle (1711) in Westminster Abbey.
- A memorial for John Ernest Grabe (1711) in Westminster Abbey.
- A memorial for Thomas Sprat, Bishop of Rochester (1713) in Westminster Abbey.
- A statue of John Radcliffe (1717) at University College, Oxford.
- A statue of King Henry VI (1719) at Eton College.
- A statue of Cardinal Wolsey (1719) at Christ Church, Oxford.
- A memorial for William Congreve (1729) in Westminster Abbey.
Images for kids
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The Conversion of St Paul, 1706, St Paul's Cathedral, London
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Font, 1727. St Paul's Cathedral, London
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Queen Anne, reproduction of original erected 1712, St Paul's Cathedral, London.
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Queen Anne, erected 1708 latest, Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, London
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Dr Ernest Grabe, d. 1711. Westminster Abbey, London
