| Custodial History | As part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, the Royal Albert Hall has commissioned new sculptures of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Her Majesty the Queen, and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, which will be permanent additions to the beloved London venue.
The commissions were given following a competition process involving a shortlist of seven sculptors supported by the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), a charity dedicated to supporting excellence in British craftsmanship.
When they are unveiled next summer, the lifesize artworks will effectively complete the building by filling the empty niches of its North Porch which have lain empty since 1871 and its South Porch, added in 2003. The venue was conceived by Prince Albert and opened by Queen Victoria who named it in memory of her late husband. Her Majesty The Queen is its patron.
Ian McCulloch, President of the Royal Albert Hall said: The Hall is in our temporary stewardship, and its our duty to ensure it is here to inspire generations to come. As well as launching artistic and engagement programmes as part of our 150th anniversary celebrations, we wanted to commemorate the milestone with something tangible, and these sculptures will finally complete the façade of our glorious Grade I listed building.
This anniversary gives us the opportunity to recognise the enduring support of our Royal patrons, and leave a legacy of public art of a high quality and craftsmanship, for which we are honoured to commission the QEST scholars.
Maquettes of the sculptures two Queens and their beloved consorts arrived at the venue ahead of the creation of the full-size pieces
Maquettes of the sculptures two Queens and their beloved consorts arrived at the venue ahead of the creation of the full-size pieces.
The interview panel for the competition process included the President and Chief Executive of the Royal Albert Hall, the Chief Executive of the Royal Commission of 1851 (who have the freehold of the Hall), the Chairman and Chief Executive of the QEST, the Halls Director of Buildings and Director of External Affairs, Feilden + Mawson as the Halls conservation architects and sculptor, Corin Johnson.
The sculptors selected for the project are Poppy Field for the South Porch with bronze figures of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, and Tom Brown and Tom Nicholls of London Stone Carving for the North Porch with stone figures of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Josh Locksmith, also of London Stone Carving, has also been integral to the project as it has developed.
Deborah Pocock LVO, CEO of Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, said: We are so proud that QEST scholars have been commissioned to finally finish the Royal Albert Halls iconic façade through the creation of these sculptures and we are extremely grateful to the Royal Albert Hall for choosing to work with QEST in championing British craftsmanship. |