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marble arch

Marble Arch

Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument near Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park at the western end of Oxford Street.

The arch was designed by John Nash in 1828 based on the triumphal arch of Constantine in Rome. It was originally erected on The Mall as a gateway to the new Buckingham Palace (rebuilt by Nash from the former Buckingham House) but was found to be too narrow for the state coach, which passes freely through the Arch as was seen during the coronation procession of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. Marble Arch was moved in 1851 to its present location, and may soon be moved again.

Some sculptures intended for the arch ended up on the façade of the National Gallery due to Nash's financial problems. In particular are those high up on the east façade, opposite the Edith Cavell memorial (Britannia) and above the old main entrance under the portico. These last two were originally intended to represent the campaigns of the Duke of Wellington, these sculptures include reclining personfications of Europe and Asia/India, with a blank roundel in between. Had the arch been completed as planned, the Duke of Wellington's face would have been depicted in the roundel. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Arch)
marble arch
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