‘Gift Horse’ sculpture rides on 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square

A new sculpture that captures people’s attention has been unveiled in Trafalgar Square, London, in the U.K. The equine bronze at the height of 4.6 meters draws attention since it is not just a horse but a skeletal sculpture. The horse`s front leg has an electronic ribbon, which displays live news from the London Stock Exchange.

The title of this sculpture is "Gift Horse," meaning a horse given as a gift. German artist Hans Haacke, 79, who is based in the U.S., gave a birth to this artwork inspired by the "Anatomy of the Horse (1766)" by English painter George Stubbs, which is on display in the National Gallery adjacent to the Trafalgar Square. There are various equine sculptures in public across the city of London. It is even more meaningful since the city hosts the play "War Horse," which depicts life of a war horse in World War I.

Gift Horse is the tenth artwork to appear on the Fourth Plinth, the public art program started by London City in 1999. In the square, built in 1845 to commemorate Admiral Nelson’s victory in the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), statues of English heroes in the 19th centuries have been installed sequentially on three corners of the square. Centering on the statue of Admiral Nelson at the center of the square, there are three statues including Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, who suppressed Indian Rebellion of 1857, in the south-east corner, British Army`s Commander-in-Chief in India Charles James Napier in the south-west corner, and King George IV who started construction of the square in the north-east corner. The fourth plinth in the north-west corner had been empty for 150 years. Originally, an equestrian statue of William IV, King George IV’s brother, was supposed to be built but the plinth had been empty due to financial reasons.

"The Fourth Plinth" project was initially launched by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce but London City has been leading the project since 2003. The city receives applications from artists and display artworks for one or two years, being praised as a role model of the public art project. "Gift Horse" will be displayed by next February.

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