The most misnamed statue in London was sculpted by the man who inspired this piece…
19th May 2025
Included in our June Fine Art Sale is a striking bronze figure crafted in the expressive tradition of late 19th century British sculpture. While unsigned, the work unmistakably echoes the aesthetic and energy of Sir Alfred Gilbert, best known as the creator of London’s iconic Piccadilly Circus fountain, often misnamed “Eros.”
Gilbert was a defining voice of the New Sculpture Movement and was no conventional artist. Born into a family of musicians in 1854, he originally trained as a violinist, and that early immersion in rhythm and melody fills the flowing lines and emotional detail of his sculptures. It’s easy to see how his musical upbringing influenced a visual style full of movement and grace.
While his contemporaries were sculpting cold neoclassical forms, Gilbert’s figures danced, mourned, reached, and dreamed. He became a leading light of the New Sculpture Movement which sought to infuse life and naturalism into British sculpture.
Though this piece lacks a signature, its composition and craftsmanship suggest it may have been created by a contemporary or follower of Gilbert, possibly cast during or shortly after his lifetime.
Sculptures from this era were often produced in small editions by specialist foundries, sometimes with direct input from the artist, sometimes without. Whether or not Gilbert ever handled this specific cast, it is undeniably shaped by his influence.
Gilbert himself was a troubled genius, constantly at odds with the institutions around him. He studied at the Royal Academy but frequently rebelled against its rigid formalism. Deadlines meant little. Budgets were ignored. His pursuit of perfection often came at a personal cost, and many commissions collapsed under the weight of his ambition.
Nowhere is this duality more evident than in his most famous work, “the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain” in Piccadilly Circus. Known to millions as “Eros,” it was a radical creation in every sense. Technically, it wasn’t Eros at all, but Anteros, the God of selfless love, chosen to commemorate the selfless life of Lord Shaftesbury. It was also the first public sculpture in the world cast in aluminum, a material virtually unknown in monumental art at the time. Critics were outraged, but the public was captivated.
Today, “Eros” is one of the most recognised symbols of London and a testament to Gilbert’s refusal to compromise.
The bronze offered in our June Fine Art Sale, comes with a copy of The Art Annual Special Number 27 on Alfred Gilbert, 1903.
Whether created by Gilbert himself or someone working within his artistic orbit, this piece bears all the hallmarks of his brilliance. It resonates with the energy of a transformative era in British art and stands as a proud tribute to one of its most compelling figures.
Estimate: £1,200 – £1,500
Our Fine Art Sale will take place on 10th & 11th June
