Statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Victoria Embankment facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunel |
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The statue in 2004
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| Artist | Carlo Marochetti |
| Year | c. 1877 |
| Medium | Bronze sculpture |
| Subject | Isambard Kingdom Brunel |
| Designation | Grade II |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| 51°30′39″N 0°06′55″W / 51.5108°N 0.1152°W | |
This article is about a special bronze statue of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It is also known as the Brunel Monument. The statue was made by Carlo Marochetti. You can find it in London, England, on the Victoria Embankment. It stands near Temple Place. The statue rests on a strong stone base, called a pedestal. This base was designed by the architect Richard Norman Shaw.
Contents
What Does the Statue Look Like?
The statue is made of bronze and is about 2.45 meters (8 feet) tall. It shows Brunel standing in a relaxed way, without a hat. He has his left leg slightly forward.
Brunel's Pose and Clothes
Brunel in the statue wears clothes from the Victorian era. He has a long coat, a vest, a shirt, a bow tie, and trousers. He holds a pair of compasses in his hands. However, he does not have his famous top hat or a cigar. These were often seen in his well-known photographs. The statue shows him looking towards the Waterloo Bridge. He is also looking towards where his Hungerford Bridge used to be. That bridge was taken down in 1860. Its chains were later used to finish the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
The Statue's Base
The tall, square base of the statue is made from Portland stone. It has walls on each side with benches. These were designed by Richard Norman Shaw. The base has an inscription that says: "ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL / CIVIL ENGINEER / BORN 1806 DIED 1859".
Why Was This Statue Made?
After Brunel passed away on September 14, 1859, a group called the Institute of Civil Engineers decided to create a memorial for him. They asked Carlo Marochetti to make the sculpture in 1860.
A Tribute to Great Engineers
The Institute of Civil Engineers also asked Marochetti to make statues of two other important engineers. One was Robert Stephenson, who died shortly after Brunel. The other was Joseph Locke. The original idea was to put all three statues together in Parliament Square in London. This area was meant for statues of important people. However, the plan changed, and the space was saved for politicians instead.
So, the three statues were placed in different locations. Marochetti's statue of Joseph Locke was put in Locke Park, Barnsley, in 1866. A copy of it is in Barentin, France. The statue of Robert Stephenson was given to the London and North Western Railway. It was placed outside Euston railway station in 1871. This statue is one of the few original parts left from the old Euston station.
Where Can You See Copies?
A copy of Marochetti's statue, made from bronze resin, was put up in 1973 in Swindon. It stands in Havelock Square. This copy is on a tall, round granite base that looks like a smokestack or a top hat. It was moved and put back in 2018 after some building work.
There is also a half-length bust (just the head and shoulders) of the statue. You can see it near North Street in Saltash. It looks towards Brunel's famous Royal Albert Bridge and the Tamar Bridge.
Images for kids
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Photograph of Brunel in 1857
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Marochetti statue of Brunel, 1857
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Brunel statue in 2014
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Bust in Saltash in 2003
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Modern replica of the Brunel statue in Swindon in 2018
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Marochetti's bronze statue of Robert Stephenson was erected at Euston railway station in 1870; pictured in 2007
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Statue of Joseph Locke, in Locke Park, Barnsley, in 2007
