Eduardo Paolozzi
Vulcan's Forge
1999
Scottish sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi (1924–2005) completed 'Vulcan' in 1986–1987: a seven-metre bronze colossus of the Roman god of the forge, reimagined as a man-machine whose body is assembled from visible gears, pistons, and industrial plates beneath a recognisably human head. Permanently installed at the entrance of the British Library in London, it fuses mythology with Enlightenment rationalism — echoing William Blake's figure of Newton. The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh holds the core Paolozzi archive, with maquettes, preparatory drawings, and prints for 'Vulcan' displayed in a dedicated gallery.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons