History in Structure

Statue, Courtyard, City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh

A Category A Listed Building in Edinburgh, Edinburgh

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.9501 / 55°57'0"N

Longitude: -3.1903 / 3°11'24"W

OS Eastings: 325768

OS Northings: 673647

OS Grid: NT257736

Mapcode National: GBR 8PG.8J

Mapcode Global: WH6SL.ZP0Y

Plus Code: 9C7RXR25+2V

Entry Name: Statue, Courtyard, City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh

Listing Name: High Street, City Chambers Courtyard, Alexander and Bucephalus Statue

Listing Date: 14 December 1970

Category: A

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 365197

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB27855

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Edinburgh, High Street, City Chambers, Courtyard, Statue
Alexander the Great taming Bucephalus
Alexander & Bucephalus

ID on this website: 200365197

Location: Edinburgh

County: Edinburgh

Town: Edinburgh

Electoral Ward: City Centre

Traditional County: Midlothian

Tagged with: Statue

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Description

Sir John Steell, modelled 1832 (cast 1883). Bronze statue on corniced, bow-ended ashlar plinth; draped pedestrian figure of Alexander with rearing, unharnessed horse.

Statement of Interest

Part of an 'A' Group with Nos 2-11 Parliament Square, Advocates Library, Signet Library, Parliament Hall, 1 Parliament Square, St Giles High Kirk, Charles II Statue, Lothian Chambers, City Chambers, Alexander and Bucephalus Statue, Queensberry Memorial and Market Cross.

The clay model of the group was exhibited in Edinburgh and in London, where it attracted the attention of Sir Francis Chantrey. The Board of Trustees gave Steell £40 to have the group cut in stone, in order to encourage the use of native stone, and to encourage the work of skilled artisans. Steell visited Rome in 1829, and the influence of both the Castor and Pollux in the Quirinale, and of Thorwaldsen's Alexander frieze in the Palazzo Quirinale can be seen. Steell built the 1st bronze foundry in Scotland in order to cast his statue of the Duke of Wellington in 1840. Alexander and Bucephalus was presented to the city by subscribers in 1884 and moved from St Andrew Square to its present site in 1916.

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