Equestrian Statue of Queen Victoria

Thornycroft’s bronze sculpture of Queen Victoria, riding sidesaddle, is based on his marble original created for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Given pride of place at this first major art exhibition in Britain, held at the Crystal Palace, the marble was the first sculpture visible upon entering the building. The young queen is shown in a close-fitting riding habit with her features more accurately portrayed than was usual for royal portrait sculptures. Due to its popularity, the artist produced fifty smaller versions of it in bronze.