London England
2010
The Horses of Helios, also known as
The Four Bronze Horses of Helios,
[1] is a
bronze sculpture of four horses by
Rudy Weller. It is one half of a commission installed in 1992 when the adjacent
Criterion Theatre was refurbished. The other half, the
Daughters of Helios or
Three Graces, is a sculpture of three women leaping off the building six stories above.
The Horses of Helios comprises three bronze elements with dark patina: one pair of horses weighing approximately 4 tons, and two single horses. The four rearing horses appear to be bursting from the water of a fountain. It depicts
Aethon,
Eous,
Phlegon, and
Pyrois - the four horses of
Helios, Greek god of the sun.
[1] The sculpture was installed in 1991 in a fountain under a canopy at the base of the building at 1
Jermyn Street, on the corner where
Piccadilly meets
Haymarket, near
Piccadilly Circus in London.
[2] The building is adjacent to the
Criterion Theatre, and was installed when the theatre was refurbished.
The
Daughters of Helios or
Three Graces depicts the three
Charites -
Aglaea,
Euphrosyne, and
Thalia - who in some accounts are the daughters of Helios and the naiad
Aegle. The three female figures are made from gold-leaf-covered aluminium. They are installed at roof level, as if leaping off the 6th floor of the building immediately above the horses below.
As of 2022, since at least December 2020, the sculpture is behind a security fence and the fountain is not operating.