Twiggy on Bourdon Place W1

If you wander down the side streets of Mayfair, you might stumble upon the fashion photographer, Terence Donovan, photographing the model Twiggy near his studio.

Or at least, a public set of three sculptures shows a shopper doing just that in the 1960s.

They were created by the sculptor Neal French in 2012 and funded as part of Grosvenor’s property development on 40-54 Grosvenor Hill.

The photographer, Terence Donovan, used to work in a studio on Bourdon Street, and one of his famous photos was of the model Twiggy leaning against some old mews doors – and it’s that moment that inspired the sculptures.

The Donovan Family Trust provided photos of Donovan for the sculptor to work from, and Grosvenor also consulted with Twiggy and she was supportive of the artwork proposal.

Notably, they are not set on plinths but mounted into the ground just as if they really are people frozen in time. No need to worry about motorists, as it’s a pedestrianised street.

As a work of art associated with a building development, it’s unusual in that there isn’t an obvious link between the redevelopment site and the sculptures. But that makes it a bit more fun to stumble upon and wonder, what on earth are they doing here.

Twiggy unveiled the sculptures on 31st May 2012.

The Donovan Family Trust notes a slight inaccuracy as it shows Tiggy being photographed near Donovan’s studio, but Donovan didn’t move his studio to Bourdon Street until the 1970s, after he stopped model photography.

But quite rightly, the archive says “this slight inaccuracy doesn’t diminish the sculptures’ impression as an affectionate and, for those who wander accidentally onto Bourdon Place, surprising tribute to two of the most prominent figures from swinging sixties London.”

Bourdon Place is next to Berkeley Square, about halfway between Bond Street and Green Park tube stations.