William Shakespeare at Leicester Square, London

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A marble statue of William Shakespeare, sculpted by Giovanni Fontana after a Peter Scheemakers original, has stood at the heart of Leicester Square Gardens in London since 1874. The figure, copied from Scheemakers' 18th-century monument to Shakespeare in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey, rests on a pedestal flanked by dolphins at the centre of a fountain. This statue is the result of improvements made by financier Albert Grant, who bought the Square in 1874 and had it refurbished according to James Knowles' design. The scroll held by Shakespeare bears an inscription from Twelfth Night (Act IV, Scene II), THERE IS NO DARKNESS BUT IGNORANCE, which differs from its counterpart in Poets' Corner where a passage from The Tempest is misquoted. Unlike the original, this statue omits reliefs of Henry V, Richard III and Elizabeth I on the plinth beneath Shakespeare. This object forms part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative created by MyMiniFactory to build a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from around the globe for public access. Scan The World is an open source community project; if you have items that interest you and wish to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can participate.