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Notes
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In 1826, Baily received a large order for sculpture, including four statues of ‘Victories’, for Marble Arch, which was to be erected in celebration of Britain’s defeat of the French in the Napoleonic Wars. Although Baily completed his commission, not all of his work was used as originally intended; some parts ended up adorning other government buildings. During the construction of the National Gallery, its architect, William Wilkins, was forced, in a cost-cutting exercise, to recycle masonry and statuary from other projects. This explains the presence above the Gallery’s central portico of this statue personifying Victory and its pair, either side of Charles Rossi’s relief depicting Asia and Europe, even though all three pieces were initially created for the Marble Arch commission.
Title
Victory
Date
1826–1832
Medium
Portland stone
Accession number
H208
Acquisition method
commissioned by the Office of Works for the Marble Arch, and installed on the gallery by 1838
Work type
Statue
