This 6 tonne sculpture by Nic Fiddian-Green appeared at Marble Arch a couple of weeks ago."Losing your head" is nowdays about falling in love. Once though it meant having it chopped off, a common practice in France.
The English liked their fun to last a little longer, so hanging was the preferred entertainment, sorry, form of justice here in London. This area was the location of the once infamous Tyburn Tree where some 50,000 executions took place. Afterwards the hangman would sell the rope for 6 pence an inch.
13 comments:
wow..
lol ..
interesting facts. i always like little tidbits of historical information like that. we also have a place in our small town where until not too long ago an old oak stood called the tory oak ..
a few tories were hung back in the day..
anyway .. that horse's head makes for one magnificent sculpture ..
What do you suppose that horse did to deserve losing his head? I have to say, that is an interesting sculpture.
Ugh, what a history! And for the life of me, I can't make heads (or tails) of this sculpture.
I was hanged recently - at the London Dungeons - semi entertaining!!!
xx
Thanks to all the commentors who said it was a horse's head. I totally didn't see it until you said it. Great tidbits. Oh, and I love the colors of those trees.
Yeah, we Brits liked a bit of hanging!
Unusual sculpture, especially the size.
I prefer white horses with their heads on their neck...anyhow... This is an impressive sculpture with a disquieting puzzling message in it. But what could it be? I'll ask for help to my Art colleague. Meanwhile let's appreciate its wonderful light blue colour! Interesting historical info, Mo. A great sunday to you!
Yes, fortunately we have got rid of some (not all) of our bad habits!
I really like this statue! Looks like a really nice peace of art to me!
Beautiful classical art is lost to political statements. Juzt look at its ugliness.
that is interesting!
Interesting subject, nice sculpture but a funny place to put this particular sculpture
One of the things that I like most in London is ... the London mood!
Magnificent sculpture!
Chopping heads off was once common practice in Prague! :o
Here in the States in 1692, they hung women who were guilty of witchcraft in Salem, MA. 19 were hanged and one was "pressed to death". Now, it's a very cool town to visit around Halloween. CrEePy... :D
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