A new bronze sculpture honoring the English Romantic poet John Keats is set to be unveiled next week, just a stone’s throw from his birthplace in Moorgate, City of London. The artist behind this creation, Martin Jennings, is well-known for his previous public sculptures depicting notable figures such as John Betjeman, George Orwell, and Philip Larkin.
The unveiling will take place at noon on October 31, coinciding with what would have been Keats’s 229th birthday. Keats, who was born to the son of an innkeeper at The Swan and Hoop, a livery stable near modern-day Moorgate station, continues to be celebrated for his significant contributions to poetry.
Jennings’ bronze sculpture is based on an enlarged life mask of Keats, originally created when the poet was just 21. This life mask, housed at Keats House in Hampstead, was digitally scanned and transformed into a larger 3D print, serving as the model for the final bronze piece. The sculpture will be displayed on a plinth above a slate base, adorned with inscriptions from Keats’ “Ode on Indolence.”
“There couldn’t be a closer portrait of Keats than this mask taken during his lifetime, which I have enlarged and cast in bronze,” Jennings explained. “This dreaming head seems fitting for his birthplace, while also capturing the contemplative state of mind he sought when writing poetry.”
Among Jennings’ past works are statues of John Betjeman at St Pancras station, George Orwell outside BBC Broadcasting House, and Philip Larkin at Hull Paragon railway station. Jennings hopes his latest creation will encourage passersby to take a moment to appreciate both the sculpture and the literary legacy of one of England’s greatest poets.
Although Keats passed away from tuberculosis at the young age of 25, he remains one of the most influential poets in English literature. The funding for the sculpture came from former City of London Corporation alderman Bob Hall, who previously supported a sculpture of John Donne outside St Paul’s Cathedral. Hall emphasized the significance of commemorating both poets in the city of their birth: “It’s important to honor these outstanding figures through public sculptures, which celebrate their groundbreaking poetry and showcase the richness of the English language.”
With the recent arrival of the Elizabeth line tube, foot traffic in the area has increased significantly. Munsur Ali, chairman of the Culture, Heritage, and Libraries Committee at the City of London Corporation, expressed hope that commuters, tourists, and residents will find joy in interacting with this beautiful new sculpture of Keats.
The inscription on the sculpture comes from the fifth stanza of “Ode on Indolence”:
“My sleep had been embroider’d with dim dreams;
My soul had been a lawn besprinkled o’er
With flowers.”
