Broadgate Venus
| Broadgate Venus | |
|---|---|
 Broadgate Venus in 2020 | |
 | |
| Artist | Fernando Botero |
| Year | 1989 |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Subject | Venus |
| Dimensions | 400 cm × 550 cm (160 in × 220 in); 350 cm diameter (140 in) |
| Weight | 5 t (5.5 tons) |
| Location |
|
| Owner | British Land |
Broadgate Venus is a 1989 bronze sculpture of Venus located in Exchange Square, Broadgate, City of London. Sculpted by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, the reclining figure is an example of Botero's style of oversized works called "Boterismo". It is one of several public artworks in the surrounding area, including Fulcrum by Richard Serra and Rush Hour by George Segal. Reviews of the sculpture have been positive, with writers noting the voluptuous proportions of the woman blend in with the surrounding large buildings. It has been included in lists of the "raciest" or "scandalous" artworks in the city.
Description
[edit]Broadgate Venus is a 1989 bronze sculpture of a reclining Venus lying on her right side.[1][2][3] She is naked except for a cloth covering a portion of her body. The proportions of the body are exaggerated and she is facing upwards, with her left hand also pointed up and her right hand holding a ball. Her right foot extends past the sculpture's bronze base. The figure measures 4 metres (13 ft) tall, 5.5 metres (18 ft) wide, and 3.5 metres (11 ft) in diameter. It weighs approximately 5 tonnes (5.5 tons).[1][3] The inscriptions on the base are (front of base) BROADGATE VENUS, (south side of base) FONDERIA MARIANI PIETRASANTA ITALIA, and (south side of base) Botero 89.[4] The sculpture is located in Exchange Square, a 5,000 m2 (54,000 sq ft) public square in the Broadgate district of the City of London, and above the Liverpool Street station. The sculpture and square are owned by British Land.[5]
History
[edit]The sculpture is by Fernando Botero, a Colombian painter and sculptor known for creating voluminous figures. He was one of the most prominent Latin American artists during his lifetime whose style of oversized works was called "Boterismo".[6] Broadgate developers allowed Botero to select a site for his sculpture. It was installed in May 1990. Botero later created other versions of Broadgate Venus at various locations.[4] In addition to Broadgate Venus, other public artworks in Exchange Square and the immediate area include Chromorama by David Batchelor, Rush Hour by George Segal, The Broad Family by Xavier Corberó, Eye-I by Bruce McLean, and Fulcrum by Richard Serra.[7][8]
According to writer Hugh Pearman, the figure is "irresistibly reminiscent of a nude Queen Victoria" and noted its size was harmonious with the large buildings surrounding it.[9] Journalist Will Noble described its appearance as a cross between Janet Webb and Alfred Hitchcock, and included Broadgate Venus on his list of the "raciest" statues in London, along with the Arthur Sullivan Memorial, Echo by Stephen Cox, the Wellington Monument, and the cast of David in the Victoria and Albert Museum.[2] Alice Saville also included Broadgate Venus in a list of "scandalous" statues in London, along with Bulbous Betty by Edgar Allan Howes and A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft by Maggi Hambling.[10]
In her book Capital Culture: Gender at Work in the City of London, academic Linda McDowell described Broadgate Venus as "spectacular" and noted it was unlike so many figures in the city depicting smiling, virtuous women.[11] She also said the figure "revels in her ample body" and was a "large and threatening personification of voluptuous, ripe womanhood".[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 Barton, Laura (25 August 2011). "Female forms". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 June 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 Noble, Will (29 December 2016). "London's Raciest Statues". Londonist. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Broadgate Venus". Art UK. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 Ward-Jackson, Philip (2003). Public Sculpture of the City of London. Liverpool University Press. pp. 56–57. ISBN 9780853239772.
- ↑ "Exchange Square". Maylim Limited. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Caistor, Nick (15 September 2023). "Fernando Botero obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Khan, Tabish (8 January 2016). "Have You Walked The Broadgate Art Trail?". Londonist. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ "Morag Myerscough brings the park to the workplace at 1FA". OnOffice. 10 January 2020. Archived from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ↑ Pearman, Hugh (5 June 1994). "Big, bold and brassy". The Times. ProQuest 318145954.
- ↑ "The scandalous stories behind six London statues". Time Out. 25 October 2023. Archived from the original on 12 October 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- 1 2 McDowell, Linda (1997). Capital Culture: Gender at Work in the City. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 9781444399646.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Broadgate Venus at Wikimedia Commons
