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The Albert Memorial is one of the great sculptural achievements of the
Victorian era. For sheer scale and opulence, it’s hard to match. Queen
Victoria commissioned the memorial to commemorate her late consort, Prince
Albert, who died of typhoid, leaving the Queen an “utterly broken-hearted
and crushed widow of forty-two.”
The
Monument has a large statue of Albert seated in a vast Gothic shrine, and
includes a frieze with 169 statues incorporated into the design. The
steps around the memorial are guarded by groups symbolizing Europe,
Africa, America and Asia, while above Albert's head are Agriculture,
Manufacture, Engineering, and Commerce. The pinnacle, which extends to 175
feet above the base, has more allegorical figures, including Faith, Hope,
Charity, and Humility nearest the top.
At the
time of its completion, the monument was noted as being one of the most
costly works in granite of the period. For a while at the beginning
of the 1990s the Memorial was under scaffolding. Eventually it was
lovingly restored. Today, Albert Memorial is an absolute must for
tourists who care about Victorian Art, because it’s as good as it gets.
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