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List of public art in Glasgow facts for kids

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The city's George Square contains a number of significant public statues and monuments.

Public statues in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, have been used to display the wealth and history of the city over centuries. The most prominent are those erected by the municipality or by public subscription, but others adorn the façades of the great commercial buildings.

Cathedral Square

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
King William III (of Orange) on horseback statue, Glasgow Cathedral Square, Scotland.jpg William II of Scotland (William of Orange) Cathedral Square, Glasgow 1735 Unknown Equestrian statue on pedestal Bronze and stone Category A Q17567391 Statue first erected at Glasgow Cross in 1735, at the expense of James Macrae, a Governor of Madras, and was moved to its present site in 1923.
Statue of James Lumsden (geograph 3099781).jpg James Lumsden Cathedral Square, Glasgow 1862 John Mossman Statue on pedestal Bronze and pink granite Category B Q17811583 Lumsden was a stationer, local benefactor and Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1843 to 1846.
David Livingstone statue, Glasgow.JPG David Livingstone Cathedral Square, Glasgow 1879 John Mossman Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17811564 Originally erected in George Square. Re-erected across from Provand's Lordship in 1959. Re-erected in current location in 1990.
Cathedral Square, Glasgow, Statue To Reverend Dr Norman Macleod.jpg Rev Dr Norman Macleod Cathedral Square, Glasgow 1881 John Mossman Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17811590 Cast by Cox & Son.
Statue of James White of Overtoun - geograph.org.uk - 1735631.jpg James White of Overtoun Cathedral Square, Glasgow 1890 John Mossman, completed by Francis Leslie Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17811577 White was a solicitor, businessman and chemicals manufacturer.
Statue Of James Arthur.jpg James Arthur Cathedral Square, Glasgow 1893 George Anderson Lawson Statue on pedestal Bronze on granite Category B Q17811569 Arthur was a clothing manufacturer.

Other figures portrayed include St Paul, St Peter and the Four Evangelists on the facade of the Barony North (Glasgow Evangelical) Church to the east of the square – 1878-80 by McCulloch of London.

The nearby Glasgow Necropolis is a "garden" cemetery opened in 1833, in imitation of Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, has a number of statues associated with the funerary monuments of the rich and famous buried there. Most of these are private or religious statues, but the hilltop location is dominated by a large monument to John Knox erected in 1825. It consists of a 12 ft high statue of Knox, designed by Robert Forrest, atop a high Doric column by Thomas Hamilton.

Charing Cross

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
Keith McCarter - Abstract Wall Relief (Glasgow) from left.jpg Abstract mural (untitled) Bath Lane 1972 (circa) Keith McCarter Relief mural Concrete 260 × 2340cm Q115755300 19, 130cm wide pre-cast concrete blocks, made in conjunction with R. Seifert Company and Partnership

Custom House Quay

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
La Passionara.jpg La Pasionaria, Dolores Ibárruri Custom House Quay 1974-79 Arthur Dooley Statue on pedestal Iron and fibreglass Category B Commissioned by the International Brigade Association of Scotland.

Elder Park

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
Statue of John Elder, Elder Park, Glasgow (geograph 3583027).jpg John Elder Elder Park 1888 Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17811104
Statue of Isabella Elder, Elder Park, Govan, Glasgow.jpg Isabella Elder Elder Park 1906 Archibald McFarlane Shannan Seated statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category A Q17568709 Isabella Elder Statue [de] cast by JW Singer & Sons, stonework by DH & J Newall of Dalbeattie.
War memorial, Elder Park (geograph 3574334).jpg HMS K13 Submariners memorial Elder Park 1922 Robert Gray Obelisk Granite

George Square

George Square is Glasgow's central public square and was laid out in 1782, with houses appearing between 1784 and 1820. Many of these later became hotels, especially after the opening of Queen Street Station. Only one of the original houses remains - the Millennium Hotel beside the station. The square is now a magnificent public space dominated by the City Chambers, the former Post Office building, ex-Bank of Scotland and the Merchant's House.

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
JohnMooreGlasgow.jpg Sir John Moore George Square 1819 John Flaxman Statue on pedestal Bronze and Aberdeen granite Category A Q17567464 The Statue of Sir John Moore [de] was the first statue to be erected in George Square.
James Watt Denkmal.jpg James Watt George Square 1832 Francis Leggatt Chantrey Seated statue on pedestal Bronze and Devonshire granite Category A Q17567460 Statue of James Watt (Glasgow) [de]
Scott Monument, Glasgow.JPG Sir Walter Scott Memorial Column George Square 1837 John Greenshields (statue)
Alexander Handyside Ritchie (statue)
David Rhind (column)
Statue on column and pedestal Sandstone Category A Q43374173 The Walter Scott Memorial Column [de] was the first ever statue to Sir Walter Scott.
Queen Victoria, George Square, Glasgow.jpg Queen Victoria George Square 1854 Carlo Marochetti Equestrian statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category A Q17567473 The Equestrian statue of Victoria (Glasgow) [de] was the first equestrian statue of a woman in Britain.
Statue Of James Oswald.jpg James Oswald George Square 1855 Carlo Marochetti Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17792900
Robert Peel statue, Glasgow.JPG Sir Robert Peel George Square 1859 John Mossman Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17792945
Glasgow (15741422759).jpg Albert, Prince Consort George Square 1866 Carlo Marochetti Equestrian statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category A Q17567468 Equestrian statue of Albert, Prince Consort (Glasgow) [de]
George Square, Statue Of Field Marshall Lord Clyde - portrait.jpg Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde George Square 1867 John Henry Foley Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17792870
George Square, Statue Of Thomas Graham.jpg Thomas Graham George Square 1871 William Brodie Seated statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17792967
Robert Burns statue, George Square Glasgow.jpg Robert Burns George Square 1877 George Edwin Ewing
James Alexander Ewing
James Alexander Ewing
Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17792930 Cast by Cox and Son.
Thomas Campbell statue, Glasgow.JPG Thomas Campbell George Square 1877 John Mossman Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17792852
Statue Of William Ewart Gladstone.jpg William Ewart Gladstone George Square 1902 Hamo Thornycroft Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17792886 Originally erected in front of Glasgow City Chambers, it was relocated to the north side of George Square in 1923 to accommodate the Cenotaph.
War Memorial, George Square, Glasgow - DSC06146.JPG Glasgow War Memorial George Square 1924 Ernest Gillick (sculptor)
John James Burnet (architect)
Cenotaph, surround, two statues of recumbent lions Bronze and Portland stone Category B Q17792838

Glasgow Harbour

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
The Rise at Glasgow Harbour (geograph 3418034).jpg The Rise Glasgow Harbour 2008 Andy Scott Sculpture Galvanised steel 6m high

Gordon Street

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
Citizen Firefighter - geograph.org.uk - 546448.jpg Citizen Firefighter Gordon Street 2001 Kenny Hunter Statue Bronze Commissioned by the Strathclyde Fire Brigade, three months after it was unveiled (on 17 June 2001) the statue became a focal point for tributes to the firefighters who died in and after the September 11 attacks.

Ingram Street

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
GHStatue.JPG George Hutcheson Former Hutchesons' Hospital, Ingram Street 1649 James Colquhoun Statue in alcove Stone Category A

Also on Ingram Street is the Italian Centre displaying rather classical looking modern statues by Alexander Stoddart. Inside the centre a distinctively modern man is rather amusingly struck by the same object of interest as his dog.

Kelvingrove Park

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
Stewart Memorial Fountain.jpg Stewart Memorial Fountain [de] Kelvingrove Park 1872 James Sellers (architect), John Mossman (sculptor). Fountain Sandstone, marble & granite Category A Q17576744
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (36511664914).jpg Saint Mungo as the Patron of Art and Music Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum 1901 George Frampton Sculpture group Bronze Category A
Glasgow South African War Memorial.JPG South African War Memorial Kelvingrove Park 1906 William Birnie Rhind Statue on pedestal Bronze and stone Category B Q17811618
Bronze statue of Lord Kelvin in Kelvinside, Glasgow - geograph.org.uk - 1592023.jpg Lord Kelvin Kelvingrove Park 1913 Archibald Macfarlane Shannan Seated statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17799924
Glasgow Roberts Memorial.JPG Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts Kelvingrove Park 1916 Henry Poole after an original by Harry Bates Equestrian statue on pedestal Bronze and stone Category A Q17576740 Roberts Memorial [de]
Monument to Thomas Carlyle, Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow.jpg Thomas Carlyle Kelvingrove Park 1916 William Kellock Brown Sculpture Stone
War memorial in Kelvingrove - geograph.org.uk - 610618.jpg Cameronians War Memorial Kelvingrove Park 1924 Philip Lindsey Clark Statue group on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17806647
Benno Schotz - The Psalmist.jpg The Psalmist Honeyman Memorial Garden, Kelvingrove Park 1972 Benno Schotz Sculpture Bronze

Partick Interchange

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
Bud Neill's G I Bride.jpg G.I. Bride Partick station 2011 Ranald MacColl Statue Bronze resin Bud Neill's G.I. Bride character from the Lobey Dosser series is depicted with her baby Ned, forever trying to thumb a lift from Calton Creek in Arizona back to Partick.

Royal Exchange Square

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
Wfm duke of wellington.jpg Duke of Wellington monument Royal Exchange Square 1844 Carlo Marochetti Equestrian statue on pedestal Bronze and Peterhead granite Category A Q7981506 Capping the statue with a traffic cone has become a traditional practice in the city but due to minor damage to the statue and the potential for injury, the practice has been discouraged by Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde Police.

Springburn Park

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
Column, Springburn Park (geograph 5307441).jpg Unicorn & column Springburn Park Late 19th century Sculpture on column Terracotta Category B Q17811040
James Reid statue, Springburn Park, Glasgow (geograph 3969819 cropped).jpg James Reid (1823–1894) Springburn Park 1903 Goscombe John Statue on pedestal Bronze and granite Category B Q17811051

Victoria Park

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
War Memorial in Victoria Park.jpg Partick & Whiteinch war memorial Victoria Park 1922 Francis William Doyle Jones Statue on obelisk Bronze and stone 8m tall Category C Q77782061

Woodlands Road

Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates
Date Artist / designer Type Material Dimensions Designation Wikidata Notes
Lobey Dosser 3.jpg Lobey Dosser Woodlands Road 1992 Ranald MacColl (designer), Tony Morrow & Nick Gillion (sculptors) Statue Bronze Statue of cartoon characters created by Bud Neill. The statue depicts Lobey Dosser, the Sheriff of Calton Creek, taking in his handcuffed arch-enemy Rank Bajin, on his horse El Fideldo (Elfie) which only has two legs. Claimed to be the only two-legged equestrian statue in the world.
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List of public art in Glasgow Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.