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Commerce Welcoming All Nations

London, Italy

Commerce Welcoming All Nations

Commerce Welcoming All Nations is a monumental allegorical stone frieze by the English sculptor Musgrave Watson, best known for his bas-relief at the base of Nelson's Column. It is also known as The Benefits of Commerce and the "Hall of Commerce frieze". It was carved for the façade of the Hall of C

ommerce which opened in 1842 in the City of London. The Portland stone relief measures approximately 73 ft (22 m) in length and 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) in height. It is generally regarded as Musgrave Watson's principal surviving architectural sculpture and the work that established his reputation as an independent sculptor. Following the demolition of the Hall of Commerce in 1922, the frieze was salvaged and remained in storage for more than fifty years. It was reconstructed, and unveiled in Islington, London in 1975 by Sir John Betjeman. A major conservation programme was completed in 2025.

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