Design
The design of the arch is based on that of the Arch of Constantine in Rome and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in Paris. It was originally intended to carry a programme of sculpture celebrating British victories during the Napoleonic Wars. An architectural model, made in around 1826 and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, shows it with a continuous relief of the Battle of Waterloo on one side and scenes of naval engagements on the other.
John Flaxman was chosen to make the commemorative sculpture. After his death in 1826 the commission was divided between Sir Richard Westmacott, Edward Hodges Baily and J.C.F.Rossi. In 1829, a bronze equestrian statue of George IV was commissioned from Sir Francis Chantrey, with the intention of placing it on top of the arch.
Read more about this topic: Marble Arch
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