Paternoster, Bronze sculpture in Paternoster Square, City of London, England.
Paternoster is a bronze sculpture on Paternoster Square in the City of London, showing a shepherd leading five sheep. It stands on a Portland stone base and sits in the open plaza immediately next to St Paul's Cathedral, visible from several angles as you walk through the square.
Elisabeth Frink created the work in 1975 as part of a Trafalgar House development on Paternoster Square. The area had been heavily damaged during World War Two and was still being rebuilt when the sculpture was commissioned.
The shepherd and sheep call to mind the livestock trading that once took place near Newgate Market, just a short walk away. Standing in front of the work, visitors can feel how the square connects everyday working life of the past with the cathedral that still dominates the skyline today.
The sculpture stands in an open, step-free plaza that is accessible to everyone at any time of day. Mornings and weekends tend to be quieter, which makes it easier to get a clear view of the work from different sides.
The work was unveiled in 1975 by the violinist Yehudi Menuhin, which was an unusual choice for the opening of a public sculpture. Menuhin was a known admirer of Elisabeth Frink's work and had personally asked to be involved in the ceremony.
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