Statue of John Keats, Moorgate

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Statue of John Keats
John Keats life mask by Martin Jennings 2024-11-04.jpg
Artist Martin Jennings
Year2024
MediumSculpture
Subject John Keats
Location Moorgate, City of London, United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°31′04″N0°05′21″W / 51.517694°N 0.089197°W / 51.517694; -0.089197

A statue of the English Romantic poet John Keats is located in Moorfields, Moorgate in the City of London. It was sculpted by Martin Jennings and depicts a larger than life-size copy of a life mask of Keats taken aged 21. Keats was the son of an ostler at the nearby inn, The Swan and Hoop. [1] It was unveiled by Michael Mainelli, the Lord Mayor of London, on 31 October 2024, the 229th anniversary of Keats' birth. [2] [3]

The circular base of slate around the plinth is inscribed with a quote from the fifth stanza of Keats' 1819 Ode on Indolence :

My sleep had been embroider'd with dim dreams;
My soul had been a lawn besprinkled o'er
With flowers. [1]

It was funded by Alderman Bob Hall who had previously funded the John Donne Memorial near St Paul's Cathedral. [1] [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Creamer, Ella (26 October 2024). "John Keats statue to be unveiled near his birthplace in London's Moorgate". The Guardian . Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  2. "Lord Mayor, City of London". x.com. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  3. Jack Mendel (26 October 2024). "Bronze sculpture of poet John Keats to be unveiled in London". City AM . Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  4. "LondonLife – John Keats at Moorgate…". November 5, 2024.