When I was in England in October, I went to Trafalgar Square to visit St Martin-in-the Fields Church and the National Portrait Gallery. The square was crowded with people, and there on one of the plinths was a new sculpture, and I thought, "What's with the big blue rooster?" Turns out the bird is a cockerel, a young male. The cockerel sculpture, by German artist, Katharina Fritsch, is not a permanent fixture but will remain in its place of honor for 18 months. The big bird gave me a laugh, and when I went to Wikipedia for more information, I had another good laugh.
It was unveiled on 25 July 2013 by Mayor of London Boris Johnson. He pointed out the irony that the cockerel, an unofficial national emblem of France, was standing in a square commemorating a famous British victory over the French. Fritsch has said that she was unaware of the connection until it was explained to her. According to Fritsch, she chose the cockerel to represent strength and regeneration, "but it's a nice humorous side-effect to have something French in a place that celebrates victory over Napoleon. He has come back as a cockerel!" Johnson said in his speech that "I hope French people will not take it as excessive British chauvinism – but for me it stands for the recent British triumph in the Tour de France, which we have won twice in a row … it is a symbol of French sporting pride, brought like a chicken to London. We have mounted this French cock at the heart of our imperial square."My picture of the blue cockerel sculpture in Trafalgar Square made me nostalgic for England. My friend Richard said the view down Whitehall to Parliament is one of the best, and I happened to snap the view while I was there. In the distance, to the left of the Nelson column is Big Ben.
Unfortunately, this picture shows the statue of Nelson and the equestrian figure of King George IV from the rear. I believe I took the photos from the porch of the National Gallery.
