Statue of William Shakespeare (Roubiliac)

You are approaching a marble statue of William Shakespeare that now resides within the entrance hall of the British Library. Commissioned in seventeen fifty-seven by the celebrated actor David Garrick, this piece was originally intended for a private temple Garrick built on the grounds of his villa in Hampton. The actor paid three hundred guineas for the work, which was designed by the sculptor Louis-Francois Roubiliac to serve as a centerpiece for his personal tribute to the playwright.