The Sculptures of Hyde Park

Hyde Park is a place that many people who live in London enjoy, and many more tourists flock to. The beautiful green spaces are a place to enjoy relaxation and family time, and you will also be able to enjoy many beautiful monuments and sculptures as you wander around the park. Here are a few of Hyde parks sculptures that you might want to look out for when you visit…

Animals have long been represented in sculpture and many modern day artists create many a wonderful wildlife sculpture such as www.gillparker.com/ but if you are heading to Hyde park, certainly the most thought provoking and poignant animal sculpture of all has to be the Animals in War memorial, a dedication to the animals that were killed alongside human soldiers during war. This sculpture shows two mules, made from bronze and weighed down with supplies, whilst a horse and dog stand ahead of them through the gap in the wall. The smaller inscription on the wall next to them read ‘they had no choice’.

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A place to rest and relax and enjoy the surroundings – the statue aptly named Serenity is found on the south of the serpentine and is dedicated to the Nut, the Egyptian nature Goddess, and her daughter Isis. With benches surrounding it where you are able to gaze out onto the waters, this is the perfect place for a statue named Serenity!

The Pan statue is a joyful one and also a special one – it shows a family and their dog rushing joyfully towards the park, whilst Pan, the Greek God of the wild plays on his pipes. The sculptor Jacob Epstein created this statue, and it was the last one he made before he died in 1959. The statue was cast after his death and placed in the south of Hyde Park, near to Edinburgh gate in 1961.

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One of the most famous monuments of all in Hyde Park is of course the Diana memorial fountain. A tribute to the Princess of Wales, this is a fountain that many people come to and enjoy reflection and fun. You can cross bridges and walk to the centre of the fountain, which is made from Cornish granite, or simply swing your feet into the cool waters on a hot day to cool down.

On the east of the Serpentine, you will find the Queen Caroline statue. This is a memorial of the wife of King George II who is responsible for the creation of the Serpentine in Hyde Park. It was unveiled by the Queen in 1990 and shows a large stone urn on top of the memorial plinth.

Another incredibly poignant sculpture that Hyde Park is home to is the memorial of the victims killed in the 7/7 bombings. In the southeast of the park, visitors can walk around these 52 stainless steel pillars, one for each of the victims, and see the inscriptions, as well as reading more on the plaque at the end of the memorial.