Blog Post #2: Albert Memorial

Blog Post #2: Albert Memorial                                                                       Amelia Moore

Before coming to London, I had never understood the extent to which the remnants of the British Empire were still present throughout the London that we know today. Imperialism and colonialism, although significant throughout the 19^th and early 20^th century, still remains a constant presence left over in the architecture and makeup of the city. One of the most prominent examples of this is the Albert Memorial located in Hyde Park. Created for Queen Victoria’s husband after his death in 1861, the entirety of the sculpture not only represents Albert’s love for the arts and sciences but also the imperialist history of the British Empire. While visiting the memorial, one is able to tell that there are four main corners, each representing a different region of the world: Africa, America, Europe, and Asia. These were considered to be the four corners of the world, all of which had a portion that was conquered by the British Empire. On each of the four corners, there is a striking image of the native people sitting upon an animal: a camel, buffalo, bull, and elephant respectively. This reminded me heavily of the painting we viewed in class called “Isaac Van Amburgh and his Animals” by Edwin Lanseer.

 

 In this painting he is portrayed stretched out between a variety of wild animals, enclosed by a cage in the zoo.  All of these animals, typically thought of as wild and savage, seemed to have been conquered and domesticated by Van Amburgh. The same theme is present in the memorial in which the individuals sitting atop the animals seem to have tamed them. This overall represents the theme of imperialism, in which the British Empire was able to conquer and control the majority of the world, even the savage and unmanageable portions. Although not necessarily the only theme present in the memorial, it remains one of the most evident.  When comparing this to other imperialistic architecture such as Trafalgar Square, the Albert Memorial as a whole consists of striking architecture, emblazoned in gold and ornamental decorations. Although typically regarded as gaudy and garish by much of the British public, the Albert Memorial remains one of the most outstanding examples of the Britain’s Imperialist history.