The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-08 00:00:00

NELSON MEMORIAL.

We yesterday attended the Exhibition of the Da-
signs which have been sent in for the Nelson Memorial.

We were anxious to judge how far the Exhibition de-
served the condemnation heaped upon it in a Morning
Paper as a " disgrace to the artists of this country."
We had a strong impression that unless there was most
unequivocal ground for such a swerping denouncement, it
was (to use the language of Mr. Britten at the meeting
on Monday) " cruel and ungenerous." And we con-
fidently expected to find that the English artists, when
called upon for so noble and national an object as the
erection of a Monument to one of England's greatest
heroes, could not be in so low a position as to furnish no
designs but what were absolutely worthless.
Before we notice any particular designs we would
say a word as to the general principles, which
we conceive should be considered in regard to the con-
struction of national memorials to distinguished per-
sonages. The main object in such cases is, we imagine,
not so much architectural magnificence, or allegorical
representations, as the perpetuation of the person and
likeness of the hero, by the medium of sculpture ; and
in as grand and impressive a style as possible. Let
it be recollected that the purpose is rather to erect a
monument to Nelson than to raise a memorial of
Trafalgar—that it is the victor tom., than the victory
that is to he commemorated ; end that the triumph is
to be remembered in the figore of the conqueror. Now,
temples, cenotaphs, or arches, we . think, are quite at
variance with the personal objet of such a memorial.
Posterity willook, not to see how the architects of thel9t h
century desired, hut to gaze with all-engrossing interest
on the sculptured figure of the immortal hero. For the
same reason we think a column would be pre-eminently
absurd, as we arc at a loss to conceive what object can
be attained by placing a statue where it most be alto-
gether indisti7guishable, save as a shapeless mass of
bronze or marble.
Now of the three models on which the Sub-Comn.it-
tee of the Nelson Memorial have placed the seal of
their approbation, one is a column, another we can
only describe as a succession of pedestals, diminishing
in size as they ascend ; and by a singular appropriate-
ness on the higher one—that is, of course, the least
visible—there are some basso relievos—the whole being
surmounted by a thing which nobody would ever be
able to discriminate as a statue. The third is by
Bailey, and consists of an obelisk, rising from a rock,
surrounded at the base by an allegorical group of
statuary—Britannia crowning Nelson, attended by Vic-
tory, while Neptune, with subordinate Deities, are rising
from the sea. The designing is good, but we are not
satisfied with the statue of Nelson.

The model which most fixed our attention by its
unique simplicity was one by F. H. Wodington, and is
composed of a m.issy pedestal, with projecting blocks at
the corners, on which are reclining figures, typical of
the four chief victories of Nelson ; the pedestal being
crowned by a colossal statue of the hero, in a commanding
itude, executed in admirable style, and one of the beA
likenesses we ever saw, The simple grandeur of the
whole struck us as very appropriate to the subject.
Tiler. was a very elegant design, by Messrs. Snlvin
and Smi,h, of a Temple (reminding us somewhat of the
celebrated " Temple of the Winds" at Athens)—a
conical roof, being supported by pillars of the Corinthian
order, alternately di% iding openings, and spaces filled up
with tnodeilinzi of some of Nelson's principal victories;
in

the interior h4-in; a statue of the hero.
Among the 6esi,ns flr bronze (of wl-,ich there were
few) was one by Mr. Westmaeott for a statute. Mr.
Britton has sent in a design for a cenotaph—of which
wowitionly sayihat, though beautiful in iWll—" any'