Statue of Lord Nelson, Bridgetown
{{Short description|Statue formerly installed in Bridgetown, Barbados}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox artwork
| title = Statue of Lord Nelson, Bridgetown
| italic title = no
| other_language_1 =
| other_title_1 =
| other_language_2 =
| other_title_2 =
| wikidata =
| image = Statue of Admiral Lord Nelson, Bridgetown, Barbados.jpg
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption = The statue in 2007
| artist = Richard Westmacott
| completion_date = {{start date|1813|03|22|df=y}}
| catalogue =
| medium = Bronze
| movement =
| subject = Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
| height_metric =
| width_metric =
| length_metric =
| diameter_metric =
| height_imperial =
| width_imperial =
| length_imperial =
| diameter_imperial =
| dimensions =
| dimensions_ref =
| metric_unit = cm
| imperial_unit = in
| weight =
| designation =
| condition =
| museum = Barbados Museum
| city = Bridgetown, Barbados
| coordinates =
| owner =
| accession =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| module =
| website =
}}
A bronze statue of British naval officer Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson was installed at National Heroes Square (formerly Trafalgar Square) in Bridgetown, Barbados from 1813 to 2020.{{Cite news|last=Sandiford|first=Robert Edison|date=2020-11-18|title=Barbados removes Nelson statue in break with colonial past|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-barbados-statue-idUKKBN27X1UZ|access-date=2021-07-15}} It has since been relocated to the Barbados Museum.
History
In 1805, Nelson and the British fleet had visited Barbados while pursuing the Franco-Spanish fleet in the lead-up to the Battle of Trafalgar. A bronze statue sculpted by Richard Westmacott was erected in his honour on 22 March 1813 in what became known as Trafalgar Square,{{cite web |title=Lord Nelson Statue |url=https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/our-island-barbados/bridgetown/lord-nelson-statue.html |website=Barbados Pocket Guide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628000135/https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/our-island-barbados/bridgetown/lord-nelson-statue.html |archive-date=28 June 2021}} and Barbados' Parliament Buildings were constructed nearby in the late 19th century. The statue was a prominent landmark, and it was depicted on several Barbadian postage stamps issued between 1906 and 1964.{{cite book |last1=Courtney Cade |first1=Reginald |title=British Colonial Stamps in Current Use |date=1955 |publisher=Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations |location=London |page=22}}{{cite book |title=Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue: Commonwealth and British Empire Stamps 1840–1970 |date=2015 |publisher=Stanley Gibbons |location=London |isbn=978-0-85259-918-1 |pages=87–89 |edition=117}}
Trafalgar Square was renamed National Heroes Square in 1999. As colonial symbol, the statue became increasingly controversial and wreath-laying ceremonies on the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar ceased. The monument was vandalised in November 2017 on the eve of Independence Day celebrations, when blue and yellow paint was daubed on the statue and its plinth. A message describing Nelson as a "racist and white supremacist" was placed along the base.{{cite news |last1=Beckles |first1=Natasha |title=Statue of Lord Nelson defaced |url=https://www.nationnews.com/2017/11/29/statue-of-lord-nelson-defaced/ |work=NationNews |date=29 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130205218/https://www.nationnews.com/2017/11/29/statue-of-lord-nelson-defaced/ |archive-date=30 November 2021}}
On June 7, 2020, a movement called Nelson Must Go was started by Barbadian Alex Downes, petitioning the Governemnt to remove the statue of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson from Heroes Square. The petition gained over 10 000 signatures, and on 24 July 2020, John King, the Minister with responsibility for Culture, announced that the statue would be removed during the national Season of Emancipation, which came to an end on 23 August. The removal was postponed in order to concentrate available funds on completing and opening a park in Saint Thomas, and eventually occurred on the International Day for Tolerance. The statue was rehoused in the Barbados Museum.{{cite web|title=Memorial: M2219|url=https://memorials.rmg.co.uk/m2219/|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=Maritime Memorials|publisher=Royal Museums Greenwich}}{{cite news|last=Ellis|first=Daveny|date=July 24, 2020|title=Lord Nelson statue in Barbados to be get a new home with public input|website=Loop|url=https://www.loopnewsbarbados.com/content/nelson-statue-be-given-new-home|access-date=September 24, 2020|archive-date=28 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028200133/https://www.loopnewsbarbados.com/content/nelson-statue-be-given-new-home|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last=Ellis|first=Daveny|date=August 21, 2020|title=Denny unmoved in the face of delay of Lord Nelson statue removal|website=Loop|url=http://www.loopnewsbarbados.com/content/denny-unmoved-face-delay-nelson-not-moving|access-date=September 24, 2020}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|date=October 24, 2020|title=Nelson's Statue to be removed November 16|url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/10/24/nelsons-statue-to-be-removed-november-16/|access-date=April 10, 2021|website=Barbados Today}}{{cite web|last=Sandiford|first=Robert Edison|date=November 17, 2020|title=Barbados removes Nelson statue in break with colonial past|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-barbados-statue/barbados-removes-nelson-statue-in-break-with-colonial-past-idUKKBN27X1UZ|access-date=April 10, 2021|publisher=Reuters}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{commons category-inline|Statue of Horatio Nelson (Bridgetown)}}
{{Richard Westmacott}}
{{coord missing|Barbados}}
Category:Bronze sculptures in Barbados
Category:Monuments and memorials in Barbados
Category:Outdoor sculptures in Barbados
Category:Sculptures by Richard Westmacott
Category:Sculptures of men in Barbados