Focus on this artwork and discuss the abstract.
The Peel Memorial is a public statue by Edward Hodges Baily, a nineteenth-century British artist best known for his sculpture of Nelson on Nelson's Column. It is located in the centre of Bury, Greater Manchester. The statue commemorates the life of Sir Robert Peel, twice UK Prime Minister and founder of the British Conservative Party, who was born in Bury.
The statue is of bronze, and stands 3.5m high. Peel is depicted in contemporary dress with a lob on, "addressing the House of Commons on the memorable subject of Free Trade"The statue is mounted on a granite pedestal 3.66m high. The front of the pedestal bears the Peel family coat of arms and the word "Peel" in bronze capital letters. On the left and right sides are bronze bas-reliefs representing Commerce and Navigation. On the back of the pedestal is a circular bronze panel containing a quotation from one of Peel's speeches.The statue was originally surrounded by an iron railing with gas lights at each corner, although this was later removed.
statue bronze granite Bury Sir Robert Peel UK Prime Minister public Edward Hodges Baily Robert Peel Bury, Greater Manchester Nelson's Column Nelson Conservative Party