Originally intended to house an equestrian statue of William IV, the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square lay empty due to lack of funds for many years. Eventually, it was decided to use it for what has been described as ‘the smallest but most prominent sculpture park in the world’.

The inaugural work, ‘Ecce Homo’, a poignant life-sized figure of Christ in white marble by Mark Wallinger, fittingly presided over the arrival of the new millennium and since then many contemporary artists have had their work displayed there. From horses to hotels, bottles to cockerels, we follow the course of the Fourth Plinth Commission, up to (and beyond) David Shrigley, who gives it a big ‘thumbs up’.

Rosalind Whyte holds a BA and MA from Goldsmith’s College, and an MA (distinction) from Birkbeck College. She is an experienced guide at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the Royal Academy and Greenwich. Rosalind lectures at the Tate, to independent art societies and on cruises.

The Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, 2024. Photo credit Hilary Williams