Public art & sculpture · London
Physical Energy
In or near Tyburn.
Physical Energy in England London, United Kingdom.

Peter O'Connor aka anemoneprojectors — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Lancaster Gate · 0.6 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Physical Energy, the nearest railway station is Lancaster Gate, which is 0.6 km away. Entry is free, and the site is wheelchair accessible. The postcode for sat-nav is W2 3XA.
About
Physical Energy is a public sculpture in England London, United Kingdom, dating from 1907. Britain's public art ranges from Henry Moore reclining figures and Anthony Gormley installations to the Angel of the North and the surviving statues of empire.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
Physical Energy is a bronze equestrian statue by the English artist George Frederic Watts. Watts was principally a painter, but also worked on sculptures from the 1870s. Physical Energy was first cast in 1902, two years before his death, and was intended to be Watts's memorial to "unknown worth". Watts said it was a symbol of "that restless physical impulse to seek the still unachieved in the domain of material things". The original plaster maquette is at the Watts Gallery, and there are four full-size bronze casts: one in London, one in Cape Town, one in Harare and one that will be sited at Watts Gallery – Artists' Village in Compton, Surrey. Other smaller bronze casts were also made after Watts's death.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The sculpture is based on Watts's earlier colossal bronze equestrian statue of Hugh Lupus, 1st Earl of Chester, commissioned in 1870 by his namesake Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, later 1st Duke of Westminster. The earlier work was completed in 1883-1884 and displayed at Eaton Hall, Cheshire. That statue was itself based on equestrian elements of the Elgin Marbles. Watts started work on Physical Energy in the early 1880s. The original 3.5 ton gesso grosso model (made of plaster mixed with glue size and hemp or tow) is at the Watts Gallery at Compton near Guildford. He was assisted by George Thompson and Louis Deuchars. The sculpture depicts a nude male figure on a rearing horse, set on a rectangular…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.5068, -0.1783
- District
- Westminster
- Parish
- Westminster, unparished area
- Postcode
- W2 3XA
- Parliamentary constituency
- Kensington and Bayswater
- Established
- 1907
- Nearest railway station
- Lancaster Gate — 0.6 km
- Official site
- www.royalparks.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q18388413 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Physical Energy (sculpture) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Physical Energy?
- Physical Energy is in London, United Kingdom (postcode W2 3XA), in the parish of Westminster, unparished area.
- What is Physical Energy?
- Physical Energy in England London, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Physical Energy?
- The nearest railway station is Lancaster Gate, about 0.6 km away. Drivers can use postcode W2 3XA.
- When was Physical Energy built?
- Built or established in 1907.
- Is Physical Energy free to visit?
- Yes, Physical Energy is free to enter.
- How do I get to Physical Energy?
- The nearest railway station is Lancaster Gate, about 0.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode W2 3XA.