Museums · London
Statue of James II
In or near London.
Statue of James II — Public artwork (statue) by Peter Van Dievoet, Laurens van der Meulen.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Charing Cross · 0.2 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
Getting there & planning your visit
The Statue of James II is located in Westminster, London, with the nearest railway station being Charing Cross, just 0.2 km away. Entry to the museum is free, and it is wheelchair accessible. The postcode for sat-nav is SW1Y 5AY.
About
Statue of James II is a place of interest in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1686. OpenStreetMap heritage rating: 2/5. Wikidata describes it as: "Public artwork (statue) by Peter Van Dievoet, Laurens van der Meulen.". Coordinates: 51.5085°, -0.1290°.
Photo gallery
Summary from the official site
The National Gallery in London houses a vast collection of Western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Visitors can explore works by renowned artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh, as well as enjoy various exhibitions and events throughout the year.
Read more on the official property page.
From the Wikipedia article
The statue of James II is a bronze sculpture located in the front garden of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Probably inspired by French statues of the same period, it depicts James II of England as a Roman emperor, wearing Roman armour and a laurel wreath (traditionally awarded to a victorious Roman commander). It originally also depicted him holding a baton. It was produced by the workshop of Grinling Gibbons. The execution was most likely, according to contemporary accounts, the work of the Flemish sculptors Peter van Dievoet from Brussels and Laurens van der Meulen from Mechlin, rather than of Gibbons himself. The statue has been relocated several times since it was first erected in the grounds of the old Palace of Whitehall in 1686, only two years before James II was deposed.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The statue of James II is one of three of the Stuart monarchs commissioned by the royal servant Tobias Rustat from Grinling Gibbons's workshop in the 1670s and '80s, the others being of James's brother and predecessor Charles II: an equestrian statue in Windsor Castle and a standing figure at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. While the work was long attributed to Gibbons himself, large-scale sculptures were not his forte. Contemporary accounts attribute it to sculptors Peter van Dievoet of Brussels who came to London to cast this statue, and Laurens van der Meulen of Mechelen. in 1897, still with the now missing baton in the right hand|left]] The James II was erected at the Palace of Whitehall…
Description
The statue is executed in bronze and depicts James II as a Roman emperor. He is shown standing in a contrapposto pose and pointing downwards in "great ease of attitude and a certain serenity of air", as Allan Cunningham described it. Unusually for the time, the sculptor sought a degree of fidelity to original classical styles; James is depicted wearing a laurel wreath on top of short hair, whereas other imperial-style statues of both Charles II and James II depicted the two kings with an anachronistic combination of Roman armour and a 17th-century periwig. The statue was probably inspired by similar imperial portrayals of Louis XIV of France. One in particular, a colossal statue by Martin…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.5085, -0.1290
- District
- Westminster
- Parish
- Westminster, unparished area
- Postcode
- SW1Y 5AY
- Parliamentary constituency
- Cities of London and Westminster
- Established
- 1686
- Nearest railway station
- Charing Cross — 0.2 km
- Opening
- Sa-Th 10:00-18:00; Fr 10:00-21:00
- Official site
- www.nationalgallery.org.uk
Sources
- osm: n3211564198 (ODbL)
- wikipedia: Statue of James II, Trafalgar Square (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Statue of James II, Trafalgar Square 02.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Fourth Plinth
Memorials & monuments · 0.0 km
Pigott Theatre
Theatres · 0.0 km
Sainsbury Wing
Galleries · 0.1 km
National Gallery
Galleries · 0.1 km
Trafalgar Square
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Charles James Napier
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
.jpg?width=1200)
George IV
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
George Washington
Cathedrals · 0.1 km
Statue of Admiral Lord Nelson
Historic houses · 0.1 km
Nelson's Column
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Horatio Nelson
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
National Portrait Gallery, London
Museums · 0.1 km
Nearby
📷 5📷 5Theatres · London
Pigott Theatre
Pigott Theatre is a theatre in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Galleries · London
Sainsbury Wing
Sainsbury Wing — extension to the National Gallery, London.
📷 5Galleries · London
National Gallery
National Gallery — art museum in London, England, UK.
★ Iconic📷 10Memorials & monuments · London
Trafalgar Square
Nelson's Column and the public square at the centre of London.
📷 5Memorials & monuments · London
Charles James Napier
Charles James Napier — Monument, dating to 1855.
Where to eat & stay near Statue of James II
Places to stay
📷 5Hotels · London
The Trafalgar St. James London, Curio Collection by Hilton
The Trafalgar St. James London, Curio Collection by Hilton — a hotel in england london. 5-star. Brand: Hilton.
📷 5
📷 5Hotels · London
Radisson Edwardian Hampshire Hotel
Radisson Edwardian Hampshire Hotel — a hotel in england london. Brand: Radisson.
📷 5
📷 5Hotels · London
Z Hotel Piccadilly
Z Hotel Piccadilly — a hotel in england london.
📷 5Hotels · London
Sofitel London St James
Sofitel London St James — a hotel in england london.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5
📷 5Restaurants · London
Tiger Tiger
Tiger Tiger — a restaurant in england london.
📷 5
📷 5
📷 5
📷 7Other museums from this era
★ Iconic📷 5Museums · London
Old Royal Naval College
Old Royal Naval College — architectural landmark in Greenwich, London and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
📷 5Museums · South East England
History of Science Museum
History of Science Museum — museum in Oxford, UK.
📷 5Museums · South West England
Folly End, Quay House, Tideway, and Waterfront Buildings
Folly End, Quay House, Tideway, and Waterfront Buildings — buildings in Salcombe, South Hams, Devon.
📷 3Museums · South West England
Stratford Park
Stratford Park — house in Stroud Gloucestershire, England, UK.
More museums in this region
Flagship📷 10Museums · London
Kenwood House
Kenwood House — art museum and historic house in Hampstead, London.
📷 5Museums · London
Amora London
Amora London — European touring exhibition dedicated to love, relationships and sexual wellbeing.
📷 5Museums · London
Antique Breadboard Museum
Antique Breadboard Museum — small museum in Putney, London, England, UK.
📷 5Museums · London
Arsenal Football Club Museum
Arsenal Football Club Museum — sports museum in London.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Statue of James II?
- Statue of James II is in London, United Kingdom (postcode SW1Y 5AY), in the parish of Westminster, unparished area.
- What is Statue of James II?
- Statue of James II — Public artwork (statue) by Peter Van Dievoet, Laurens van der Meulen.
- How do I get to Statue of James II?
- The nearest railway station is Charing Cross, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode SW1Y 5AY.
- When was Statue of James II built?
- Built or established in 1686.
- Is Statue of James II free to visit?
- Yes, Statue of James II is free to enter.
- How do I get to Statue of James II?
- The nearest railway station is Charing Cross, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SW1Y 5AY.