Meredith Niles
@meredithniles.bsky.social
Spotted this tribute to Oscar Wilde the morning after I saw the National’s gloriously camp production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” This statue is not far from his former home on Tite Street. Lovely to think of him continuing to defy conventions in his old neighbourhood nearly 200 years on.
![Panel of images and text near the statue that provide more information about the sculptor and the piece. The first panel reads that “The 'Head of Oscar Wilde' was created by
Sir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi CBE (1924 - 2005). Paolozzi was born in Leith, Edinburgh, the son of Italian immigrants. He lived and worked primarily in England and his studio was in nearby in Dovehouse Street. Paolozzi worked predominantly as a sculptor, printmaker and textile designer, alongside teaching commitments in England and Germany, including at the Royal College of Art.” The second panel reads “In 1998, The Chelsea Society commissioned
Paolozzi to propose a public sculpture and the artist chose to commemorate the poet and playwright Oscar Wilde [1854 - 1900]
but the project could not be realised before
the artist's death.
To coincide with the centenary of Paolozzi's
birth and Wilde's 170th birthday on
16 October 2024, a posthumous casting was
commissioned by the Paolozzi Foundation with the support of Kensington and Chelsea Council. Utilising the original casting model, the piece was created by Pangolin Editions, a foundry that Paolozzi worked with during his career, under the overall supervision of Paolozzi's former studio assistant. Dovehouse Green is an ancient churchyard belonging to St Luke’s and Christ Church.” The third panel reads “Born in Dublin, Oscar Wilde lived in Chelsea for much of his creative life, in nearby
Tite Street. Here, Wilde wrote many celebrated works including
'The Importance of Being Earnest',
"Lady Windermere's Fan and
The Picture of Dorian Gray'.
After a notorious libel case against the
Marquess of Queensberry, Wilde was himself arrested at The Cadogan Hotel, Sloane Street and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour. Wilde is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France. In 2017, Wilde was pardoned posthumously.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:oaktcmrckrpk46qbnmllz3c3/bafkreieqvduliforxddzy7aw7vcp5xudmotcpxfcssubspozivchh4mat4@jpeg)
January 18, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Spotted this tribute to Oscar Wilde the morning after I saw the National’s gloriously camp production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” This statue is not far from his former home on Tite Street. Lovely to think of him continuing to defy conventions in his old neighbourhood nearly 200 years on.
An interesting reflection on the tension I’ve felt from effective altruism: hard to argue against maximising impact, but EA has often felt reductuve & soulless, not sufficiently valuing human connection, beauty or inspiration. Here’s to promoting the magnificent life. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/b...
December 7, 2024 at 11:54 AM
An interesting reflection on the tension I’ve felt from effective altruism: hard to argue against maximising impact, but EA has often felt reductuve & soulless, not sufficiently valuing human connection, beauty or inspiration. Here’s to promoting the magnificent life. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/b...