How does this artwork elucidate its History?
Thomas Guy was a British member of Parliament, investor and bookseller. He held shares in the South Sea Company. Due to a brief period where the company attempted to sell slaves in Spanish America, he is seen as a controversial figure.
The bronze statue was cast by Peter Scheemakers between 1731 and 1734.In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, many controversial statues became the target of attacks and scrutiny. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan established the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm in order to review statues and monuments in the city. The Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust announced that they would work with Khan on the issue. The Statue was boarded up on 12 June.  In November 2022, the hoarding around the statue was removed and a plaque explaining Guy's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade was erected.
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust South Sea Company murder of George Floyd George Floyd protests Minneapolis Peter Scheemakers Sadiq Khan George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom London Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm Minnesota Mayor of London Thomas Guy Spanish America