A Conversation with Oscar Wilde

A Conversation with Oscar Wilde is an outdoor sculpture by Maggi Hambling on Adelaide Street in central London. It stands between Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross Station, behind St Martin’s-in-the-Fields church. The work takes the form of a green granite sarcophagus shaped like a bench, with a bust of Wilde rising from one end. A hand holding a cigarette emerges from the stone, and the piece carries a quotation from Lady Windermere’s Fan: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” The memorial was proposed in the 1980s by Wilde’s admirers, including Derek Jarman, and realised by a committee led by Jeremy Isaacs. The sculpture sparked strong reactions when it was unveiled in 1998. Critics such as Tom Lubbock of The Independent praised the spirit behind the project but found the design weak, comparing it to a waxwork. Charles Spencer of The Telegraph called it hideous, objecting to the depiction of Wilde’s face and hair. Despite the controversy, the statue quickly became one of London’s most talked-about public works. The cigarette has been repeatedly removed and replaced, described as the most frequent act of vandalism—or veneration—seen on any London statue. Visitors find a quiet spot on Adelaide Street where the green stone bench faces the church. The bust of Wilde leans forward as if joining a conversation, his cigarette held lightly in carved stone. The inscription glows in the daylight, offering passers-by Wilde’s own words. Behind the sculpture, the spire of St Martin’s-in-the-Fields rises against the sky, while Trafalgar Square’s fountains and crowds lie just beyond. The piece invites a pause, a moment to reflect on Wilde’s wit and the lively debates his memory still provokes.