Starting in May 2026 and continuing through September 12, the National Sporting Library & Museum is presenting “Spiritus Equus,” an exhibition of works by Nic Fiddian Green. The equestrian-themed exhibition extends throughout the property, featuring five monumental outdoor sculptures in addition to the artist’s iconic nine-foot “Still Water,” which has stood at the entrance since 2012.
Explore Nic Fiddian Green’s Spiritus Equus Exhibition
Inside the museum, visitors will find additional sculptures and drawings displayed in both the first-floor gallery and upstairs exhibition spaces. For the duration of the exhibition, the museum’s “Still Water”—a hammered lead sculpture completed in 2011 and acquired through a grassroots fundraising campaign in 2012—has been moved indoors. In its place outside stands a seven-foot version carved from Carrara marble, allowing natural light to highlight the stone’s surface (seen below at bottom right.)
A Retrospective of Nic Fiddian Green’s Equestrian Art
The exhibition showcases more than four decades of Fiddian Green’s work, inspired by a fragmented statuary horse head from the Parthenon that first captivated him as a student. Alongside the monumental outdoor sculptures, the main gallery features four medium-sized works displayed with “Still Water,” while the upstairs galleries present 18 sculptures and seven original drawings. “Spiritus Equus” is the first retrospective devoted to Fiddian Green’s equestrian sculpture, including several works that have never before been exhibited publicly. The earliest piece on display, “Transcription Project” (1983), dates to the beginning of the artist’s lifelong exploration of the Classical horse.
The museum is raising funds to acquire “Into the Wind,” a 2023 bronze cast from Fiddian Green’s private collection. The sculpture is No. 2 in a limited edition of nine casts created by the artist. The version the museum hopes to acquire is a medium-sized cast (seen below at right), while a larger version of the statue is currently on display outdoors, standing approximately four feet tall, or about seven feet including its pedestal. Additional information about the acquisition campaign is available on the museum’s website.
Meet the Artist Nic Fiddian Green
Born in Ireland and educated in England, Fiddian Green studied at Chelsea College of Arts. During a visit to the British Museum, he encountered the “Horse of Selene.” a fragment from one of the Parthenon’s pediments commonly known as the Elgin Marbles. The sculpture profoundly influenced his artistic direction, leading him to focus on equestrian subjects—a passion that continues today and is informed by his own horses. His large-scale works have earned international recognition, particularly the original “Still Water,” first installed at London’s Marble Arch before being relocated to a private collection. A second, even larger version was later commissioned for the site and remains there today, rising 33 feet above the traffic circle. Fiddian Green works primarily in bronze, sheet metal, soapstone, Carrara marble and Connemara marble.
In 2023, Fiddian Green and longtime photographer Hugo Burnand published “Nic Fiddian Green Through the Lens of Hugo Burnand” (seen above at left), a photographic retrospective showcasing finished sculptures and behind-the-scenes views of the artist’s creative process. The book is available for purchase in the museum shop.
“Spiritus Equus” invites visitors to explore Nic Fiddian Green’s celebrated equestrian sculptures both indoors and across the museum grounds while supporting the National Sporting Library & Museum’s efforts to add “Into the Wind” to its permanent collection. On view through Sept. 12, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience more than four decades of the artist’s work in the heart of Virginia horse country. ~
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