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Statuary Group, West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh

A Category B Listed Building in Edinburgh, Edinburgh

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.951 / 55°57'3"N

Longitude: -3.1983 / 3°11'53"W

OS Eastings: 325269

OS Northings: 673756

OS Grid: NT252737

Mapcode National: GBR 8MG.N6

Mapcode Global: WH6SL.VP67

Plus Code: 9C7RXR22+CM

Entry Name: Statuary Group, West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh

Listing Name: West Princes Street Gardens, Statuary Group

Listing Date: 14 December 1970

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 365236

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB27888

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: The Genius of Architecture Rewarding at Once the Science and the Practice of the Art
Edinburgh, West Princes Street Gardens, Statuary Group

ID on this website: 200365236

Location: Edinburgh

County: Edinburgh

Town: Edinburgh

Electoral Ward: City Centre

Traditional County: Midlothian

Tagged with: Statue Sculptural group

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Description

William Brodie, circa 1860. Marble. 3 figures: standing female and 2 kilted male children (see Notes) on hexagonal pedestal with rock-cut base course.

Statement of Interest

The A Group comprises The Allan Ramsay Monument, The Cottage, Dr Guthrie's Monument, The Police Box, The Ross Fountain, The Royal Scots Greys Monument, The Royal Scots Memorial, The Scottish American Memorial, The Shelters, The Simpson Monument, The Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial and The Statuary Group, all in West Princes Street Gardens. The figures are said to represent The Genius of Architecture crowning the Theory and Practice of Art. Executed by William Brodie for his son-in-law, James Gowans, and originally situated at Rockville, Gowans house in Napier Road, Merchiston (demolished). Gifted to the Gardens in 1870. West Princes Street Gardens were laid out by James Skene for the Princes Street proprietors circa 1820. In 1866 John Dick Peddie produced a plan, shown in 2 water-colours entitled 'the Athens of the North,' one looking NE across E Princes Street Gardens, showing Calton Hill with a completed National Monument/Parthenon, and the other, looking W across W Princes Street Gardens, showing the Gardens as a 'Walhalla' with a broad terrace with monuments and mausolea, fountains and a winter garden. The gardens were acquired by the city in 1876 and further landscaped by Robert Morham.

External Links

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