Equestrian statue of George I in Birmingham UK

CountryUK
Town:Birmingham
Year of creation:1722
Rider(s):George I

1660–1721) was the first Hanoverian to reign. He was the closest living Protestant relative of Queen Anne, who had succeeded William III. During George’s rule, the power of the monarchy diminished, and Britain began a transition to the modern system of a cabinet government led by a prime minister.
Sculptor(s):Van Nost the Elder, John

(died 1729) was a Flemish sculptor, from Mechelen. He was employed by Arnold Quellin, and married his widow. He moved to England at the end of the seventeenth century, and set up business in Haymarket.

Description:

This equestrian statue of George I was originally unveiled in Dublin in 1722 amidst sumptuous celebrations. However, monuments to British monarchs in Ireland became prime targets for republican sympathizers. This statue only survived because it had been placed temporarily in the back garden of Mansion House. In 1937, the statue was sold to the trustees of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham. The current location just outside the Barber Institute is special for George I, a German by birth, who has been quoted as saying: ‘I ‘ates all bainting and boetry; neither of them ever did any good to anyone’.

It is said that the horse was cast from Hubert le Sueur’s Charles I in London, which is said to be more or less a replica of the statue of Henri IV in Paris.