GERALD LAING

Selected Citations and Comments

Maquette for an unrealised proposal for the corner of Coventry Street and Haymarket, near the Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly Circus, London.

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My submission consists of three maquettes with associated drawings and preparatory sketches.
The maquettes are:
1. A sketch model at 1:36 scale showing the sculpture in its architectural context and giving an impression of the lighting arrangement.
2. A bronze model at 1:6 scale showing the characteristics of each of the four horses and their composition as a group, mounted on the fountain base.
3. A life-size bronze study of a horse’s head showing the style of modelling to be used in the final version of the sculpture.
I have used a heavyweight hunter of 16.5 hands as a model for the horses. In modelling the sketch composition (maquette No.2 [cat. number 537]) I have referred to the style of horse sculpture from the heyday of the genre; that is, Graeco/Roman (e.g. the Horses of San Marco in Venice) and the Renaissance equestrian sculpture which is derived from it. These horses tend to be heavily built and at the same time extremely agile and expressive, which are ideal qualities for sculpture. Chinese horses of the Tang dynasty have similar qualities.

Gerald Laing, 'The Criterion Horses', unpublished manuscript, 1985