The winged statue known as Eros standing atop the Shaftsbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus is one of London’s most famous landmarks. Thousands of tourists stop to rest on the memorial’s steps, and many marriage proposals have taken place beneath the sculpture of what has long been thought to represent the Greek God of Love. The famous sculpture by Sir Alfred Scott was originally created in 1893 as a memorial to philanthropist Lord Shaftesbury, and it was titled ‘The Angel of Christian Charity’. The sculpture was actually designed to represent Anteros, the Greek God of Requited Love and brother to Eros. Upon its unveiling, Scott’s sculpture was the first ever to be produced in aluminium and was considered scandalous at the time due to its ‘explicit use of the naked male form’.
- Eros Statue
- Shaftsbury Memorial Fountain
- Piccadilly Circus, London W1J 9HS
- Underground: Piccadilly Circus