51° 30' 35.59680” N 0° 8' 4.10712” W

Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain

Sights & Landmarks • London, England United Kingdom

The Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, also known as "Eros", is a fountain surmounted by a winged statue of Anteros, located at the southeastern side of Piccadilly Circus in London, England. Moved after World War II from its original position in the centre, it was erected in 1892–1893 to commemorate the philanthropic works of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, who was a famous Victorian politician and philanthropist, and his achievement in replacing child-labour with school education. The fountain overlooks the south-west end of Shaftesbury Avenue, also named for the Earl.

Alfred Gilbert's use of a nude figure on a public monument was controversial at the time of its construction, but it was generally well received by the public. The Magazine of Art described it as "...a striking contrast to the dull ugliness of the generality of our street sculpture, ... a work which, while beautifying one of our hitherto desolate open spaces, should do much towards the elevation of public…

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