Allegorical sculpture refers to sculptures that symbolize and particularly personify abstract ideas as in allegory. Common in the western world, for example, are statues of Lady Justice representing justice, traditionally holding scales and a sword, and the statues of Prudence, representing Truth by holding a mirror and squeezing a serpent.

Allegorical figures – representations of the virtues, emotions, attributes of mankind and so forth -were popular in Victorian sculpture, and many of the most beautiful ideal figures are allegorical. This seems reason enough for a page on this site on allegorical statues. It was apparent that there were rather a lot of examples of allegorical statues, and hence the idea of some ‘alphabet of allegoricals’. There are not quite enough to do the whole alphabet, even extending to Edwardian statues and on occasion through to the 1930s.

This approach of using human form and its posture, gesture and clothing to wordlessly convey social values and themes. It may be seen in funerary art as early as 1580. They were used on renaissance monuments when patron saints became unacceptable. Particularly popular were the four cardinal virtues and the three Christian virtues, but others such as fame, victory, hope and time are also represented. The use of allegorical sculpture was fully developed under the École des Beaux-Arts. It is sometimes associated with Victorian art, and is commonly found in works dating from around 1900.

Allegorical statues of Architecture, as opposed to statues of particular architects, are generally female. There are fewer figures of Architecture than might be expected, because often it is lumped in as one of the Arts. Nevertheless, there are some. Statue of Architecture by F. W. Pomeroy on Vauxhall Bridge, London, a noble figure carrying in one hand a model of St Paul’s Cathedral, and in the other a pair of compasses. She is far larger than other statues of Architecture, but epitomises the main features of the allegorical type. Architecture’s two common attributes are a miniature building, or the compasses, or both, as here. She is Classically draped have her arms bare, and her feet, which may also be sandalled, or as here, concealed under her drapery, which is always long and generally heavy – Architecture has mass and weight so that light or scanty drapes would be inappropriate. She must also be dignified, so a calm pose rather than movement or gestures is indicated.

Agriculture has a strong place in Victorian Britain, and is the subject of many allegorical figure statues and friezes. Agriculture is often paired with Manufacture, or is in the company with Commerce or Export, as a rendition of the Empire’s success.

The figure of Agriculture can be female or male, and almost always has a sheaf of corn and very often a scythe or sickle. An alternative is a figure sowing seeds from a basket; or instead of the sickle there might be a plough, a hoe or a spade.

An example with both is the group on the Albert Memorial, with bared male and two clad females Agriculture is vigorous, growing, fruitful and ripe, so our figures will be youthful and sturdy. The commonest male type is a strong young labourer, in open-necked shirt or stripped to the waist. The typical female Agriculture is heavily robed, often with a hood, or head-dress with ears of corn. She may be mature or youthful, but certainly not slightly-built – her arms are solid, her hips broad, her breasts full.

Male or female, we see Agriculture as youth or maturity but not age – an old figure with a scythe might just indicate Winter – though this is much less likely to be the case than in painting or design – but generally indicates Death or Time. Allegorical figures of Agriculture are hearty and fresh – a tired or bowed figure is more likely to be emblematic of Poverty or Slavery. Related figures to Agricturure are occasionally met – the Seasons, as roundels or panels rather than free-standing statues; or, as alluded to above, some agricultural worker with their harvest may be to represent the first in a series of figures in a frieze or pediment building.

Notable allegorical sculptures:
The Four cardinal virtues, by Maximilian Colt, on the monument to Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury in Bishop’s Hatfield Church in the English county of Hertfordshire, before 1641.
Pinto’s Allegories of Justice and Truth by architect Giuseppe Bonici and mason Giovanni Puglisi, 1758.
The figures of the four continents and four arts and sciences surrounding the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, 1872.
The Statue of Liberty, 1886.
Figures of War and Peace located at the Millennium Monument at Heroes’ Square Hősök tere, Budapest, Hungary, ca. 1900
In Pan-American Exposition of 1901 in Buffalo, New York had an extensive scheme of allegorical sculpture programmed by Karl Bitter.
Statue of Justice on the Old Bailey in London ca. 1902
Four statues, Industry, Science, Agriculture, and Literature, by J. Massey Rhind at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1905.
The allegorical group on top of Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, created by the French sculptor Jules-Felix Coutan in 1912, represents the Roman gods, Hercules (physical energy), Mercury (commerce) and Minerva (wisdom), and collectively represents ‘Transportation’.