''Newton'', sometimes known as ''Newton after Blake'', is a 1995 work by the sculptor

Eduardo Paolozzi Sir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi (, ; 7 March 1924 – 22 April 2005) was a Scottish artist, known for his sculpture and graphic works. He is widely considered to be one of the pioneers of pop art. Early years Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi was born on 7 M ...

. The large bronze sculpture is displayed on a high plinth in the piazza outside the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. The sculpture is based on

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

's 1795 print of ''Newton: Personification of Man Limited by Reason'', which depicts a nude

Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton () was an English polymath active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author. Newton was a key figure in the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment that followed ...

sitting on ledge beside a mossy rock face while measuring with a pair of compasses or

dividers Calipers or callipers are an instrument used to Measurement, measure the linear dimensions of an object or hole; namely, the length, width, thickness, diameter or depth of an object or hole. The word "caliper" comes from a corrupt form of calibe ...

. The print was intended by Blake to criticise Newton's profane knowledge, usurping the sacred knowledge and power of the creator Urizen, with the scientist turning away from nature to focus on his books. Paolozzi had admired Blake since viewing a large print of ''Newton'' at the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

in the 1940s. He was also a friend of

Colin St John Wilson Sir Colin Alexander St John Wilson, Royal Institute of British Architects, FRIBA, Royal Academy, RA, (14 March 1922 – 14 May 2007) was an English architect, lecturer and author. With his partner MJ Long, Wilson spent over 30 years progressing t ...

, the architect of the British Library, since they both participated in the This is Tomorrow exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1956. Wilson intended to site a seated sculpture at the junction of the two main axes in the piazza of his library. Paolozzi was then working on a sculpture of Newton, and he was commissioned to create the sculpture for the library. The new library was constructed from 1982 to 1999, and the sculpture was installed in 1995. The sculpture includes Paolozzi's self-portrait as the naked Newton, measuring the universe with his dividers. The eyes were copied from

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

's ''

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

''. It can be interpreted as symbolising a confluence of the two cultures, the arts and the sciences, and illustrating how Newton changed our view of the world to one determined by mathematical laws. The sculpture makes the body resemble a mechanical object, joined with bolts at the shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles. The sculptures shows the visible seams of Paolozzi's technique of dividing his model and reassembling the pieces, for example on the head. The final full-size sculpture stands high, and is mounted on a high plinth. The bronze was cast by the Morris Singer foundry, and funded by the Foundation for Sport and the Arts. It was included in the Grade I listing of the library, granted in 2015. A maquette was donated by the artist to the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. A bronze model cast in 1988 "from the model made to show the Library committee", has been held by the

since 1995.Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, ''Newton'', 1988
Tate Gallery A similar sculpture by Paolozzi from 1989, ''Master of the Universe'', is on display at Modern Two (formerly the Dean Gallery), part of the Scottish National Gallery Of Modern Art in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

; while another example, ''Concept of Newton'', is in

Kowloon Park Kowloon Park is a large public park in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It has an area of and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.Leisure and Cultural Services DepartmentKowloon Park: Historical Background History ...

, Hong Kong.

Gallery

File:Dean Gallery Paolozzi 03.jpg, ''Master of the Universe'' (1989) at Modern Two, Edinburgh File:HK KlnPark ConceptOfNewton.JPG, ''Concept of Newton'' in

, Hong Kong

References

The British Library, piazza, boundary wall and railings to Ossulston Street, Euston Road and Midland Road
National Heritage List for England, Historic England
Statue: British Library – ''Newton''
London Remembers
Paolozzi’s ''Newton'', British Library
Tate Gallery
Paolozzi's Sculpture of Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences
''Eduardo Paolozzi, Master of the Universe'' (1989)
National Galleries Scotland

Ornamental Passions
''Blake 2.0: William Blake in Twentieth-Century Art, Music and Culture''
edited by Steve Clark, T. Connolly, Jason Whittaker
''The Architecture of the British Library at St. Pancras''
Roger Stonehouse, Gerhard Stromberg, p. 175 {{coord, 51.5290, -0.1276, display=title 1995 sculptures Bronze sculptures in London Outdoor sculptures in London Statues in London Grade I listed buildings in the London Borough of Camden Cultural depictions of Isaac Newton British Library 1995 in England Adaptations of works by William Blake Colossal statues in the United Kingdom