A public sculpture of the celebrated English Romantic poet, John Keats, will be unveiled this week close to his birthplace on Moorgate in the .
Despite dying of consumption at the tender age of 25 and not enjoying the considerable success and respect that he achieved after his death, Keats is now regarded as one of the finest poets in the English language.
The sculpture by British artist, Martin Jennings, will be unveiled on 31 October at midday, a few yards from where he was born, on what would have been his 229th birthday.
Keats was the son of an ostler at a City inn and livery stable called The Swan and Hoop, which stood a few dozen yards south of the modern-day Moorgate station.
An original plaster cast of a life mask from the Corporation-owned Keats House, in Hampstead, was scanned and digitally enlarged to provide the form for the finished sculpture. Martin Jennings’ artwork is an enlarged bronze cast of the life mask – taken when Keats was 21 years old – and mounted on a raised stone plinth above a slate base inscribed with words from one of his odes.
Keats’ sculpture is Jennings’ latest creation and follows his previous London statues of former Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman at St Pancras station and novelist, George Orwell, at BBC Broadcasting House.
Former Corporation Alderman, Bob Hall, conceived and funded the project and has now donated the sculpture to the City Corporation. His gift follows his previous patronage of a sculpture of poet John Donne by artist Nigel Boonham outside St Paul’s Cathedral and extends the public celebration of great poets born within the Square Mile.
Speaking before the unveiling ceremony, Sculptor Martin Jennings said:
“There couldn’t be a closer portrait of Keats than the mask of him that was taken during his lifetime, which I have enlarged and cast in bronze. This apparently dreaming head seems apt for his birthplace, while also illustrating the state of mind he sought for the writing of poetry.
“I hope that, in a busy thoroughfare, this quiet sculpture will give people a moment’s pause, while also drawing them back to the works of one of our greatest writers.”
Former City Corporation Alderman and donor of the sculpture, Bob Hall said:
“Both John Keats and John Donne were born in and worked in the and it is important to commemorate each of these outstanding poets by sculptures in the public realm in the city of their birth, for all to see.
“The sculptures also acknowledge their ground-breaking poetry, which demonstrates the extraordinary breadth and richness of the English language.”
Chairman of the Corporation Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, Munsur Ali, said:
“I hope that workers, visitors and residents travelling through Moorgate will enjoy engaging with this beautiful sculpture of Keats and I would like to thank former Alderman Bob Hall for his generous donation, as well its creator, Martin Jennings, for this masterpiece.
“With the ongoing development along Moorgate and the introduction of the Elizabeth Line, there will continue to be an increase in those working and visiting the area. Given that the Corporation manages Keats House Museum in Hampstead, it is only right that we enrich and connect these spaces in ways that celebrate our collective heritage.”
The Keats sculpture is the latest addition to the development of the Moorgate area, which is undergoing significant change, due to the huge increase in footfall from the addition of the Liverpool Street Elizabeth Line. There are a number of large developments nearing completion, including 101 Moorgate, a new retail and commercial building, and 84 Moorgate, the new home of the London Fashion Retail Academy.
The City is also undertaking various improvements across the area, to enhance the pedestrian environment and make it more comfortable to walk, wheel, and cycle. These include re-landscaping works to Finsbury Circus and enhanced greening and seating at the Moorgate and London Wall Oval space.
These re-landscaping improvements are due to commence in December and will include the introduction of planters, additional greening and seating to create a green public space. The works will last approximately four months.
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