Wellington Arch and the inflatable heart which appears every valentine.
When the arch was first constructed, its decorative scheme was left incomplete due to cost constraints. In 1846, a massive bronze equestrian statue of Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, by sculptor Matthew Cotes Wyatt, was controversially placed atop the arch. At 28 feet (8.5 meters) high and weighing about 40 tons, it was the largest equestrian statue in Britain and widely considered out of proportion with the arch itself. The decision was criticized by many, including the architect Burton, local residents, and the architectural press, who felt it overwhelmed and disfigured the structure
This sculpture remained until the 1880s, when the arch was moved to its current position due to road changes, and the statue was relocated to Aldershot Military Camp, where it can still be seen today.
In 1912, the arch was crowned with a new bronze sculpture by Adrian Jones: a quadriga (a chariot drawn by four horses). This ensemble, depicting the Angel of Peace descending on the chariot of war, was more in keeping with Burton’s original vision and remains one of the largest bronze statues in Europe.
The episode of the Wellington statue is still seen as a landmark example of Victorian controversy in public art, with critics citing it as evidence of “artistic ignorance” and a cautionary tale of imposing public monuments in disregard of architectural harmony