Statue of John Cass, Lead statue in Guildhall, City of London, England
The Statue of John Cass is a lead figure now housed in the Old Library Lobby of Guildhall in the City of London, depicting the merchant, sheriff, and Member of Parliament in a long wig and formal alderman robes. The work was made by the sculptor Louis-François Roubiliac and stands as a typical example of British portrait sculpture from the 1700s.
Roubiliac made the figure in 1751 for the Sir John Cass Foundation, and it was first displayed on Aldgate High Street near the school Cass had founded. It was moved several times over the following decades before arriving at Guildhall in 1980.
The figure shows Cass dressed in the formal robes and long wig worn by London aldermen in the early 1700s, giving visitors a clear sense of how civic status was expressed through dress at the time. Statues like this one were a common way for City institutions to honor merchants who had contributed to public life.
The figure stands in the Old Library Lobby of Guildhall, which is easy to find on foot in the heart of the City of London, close to Bank station. Access is free during regular opening hours, so a short detour is enough to see it.
Lead was rarely used for public portrait statues in the 1700s because it is softer and less durable than stone or bronze, making this figure an uncommon survival. A fiberglass copy of the original was later placed at London Metropolitan University, so the likeness of Cass can be seen in two different parts of the city.
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