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Isisbridge

Isisbridge club

Posted: 29 Jun 2013

Taken: 03 Dec 2009

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Keywords

Radcliffe •
Observatory •
Tower of the Winds •
Boreas •
Greek •
mythology •
god •
deity •
north •
wind •
sculpture •
Coade •
stone •
old •
historic •
building •
architecture •
tower •
Oxford •
Oxfordshire •
England •
English •
Britain •
British •
UK •
December •
2009 •
John Bacon •

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the north wind

the north wind
Boreas, the bringer of winter
Comments
 Isisbridge
Isisbridge club
Tower of the Winds, Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford:

The figures of the Eight Winds appeared on the original Tower of the Winds in Athens and were used by the sculptor John Bacon (1740-99) as the basis for his designs for the flying figures round the top of the stonework of the Observatory. Bacon also designed the two statues (in cast iron) of Atlas and Hercules who support the globe on the roof.

Boreas was the Greek god of the cold north wind and the bringer of winter, with warm clothes against the cold, holding a conch which indicates the howling of the wind. His name meant 'North Wind' or 'Devouring One'. Boreas was very strong, with a violent temper to match.

On the north face are the three Morning, Noon and Evening panels, in Coade stone, which were the work of a third sculptor, Robert Smirke. On the Morning and Noon panels, the quadriga of Helios (the sun) is seen riding across the sky, and the Evening panel depicts Nyx (the night) with Artemis (goddess of the moon) setting off for the night's journey.

www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/about/history/radcliffe-observatory
10 years ago. Edited 14 months ago.
 Isisbridge
Isisbridge club
Boreas, the north wind
9 years ago. Edited 6 years ago.

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