View on Exeter College

The view over Exeter College, in Oxford

The view over Exeter College reveals, raising the eyes towards its bell tower, an unusual statue perched on the roof. The Oxford audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this historic college and this strange work, which surprises the passers-by in the heart of the town.

The bell tower and the unusual statue

Raising the eyes towards the bell tower of Exeter College, you have the surprise to discover what resembles a man, naked moreover, posted on the roof. This strange sensation is provoked by a statue to say the least original, a work of contemporary art that contrasts with the old architecture of the college and intrigues the passers-by. Exeter College, one of the oldest colleges of Oxford, was founded in the fourteenth century and deploys a fine architecture, notably its neo-Gothic chapel inspired by the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris. The presence of this human figure perched on the heights, installed for the time of an exhibition or in a more durable way, illustrates the way Oxford, a town deeply rooted in tradition, also knows how to welcome modern art and surprise the gaze. This striking contrast, between the centuries-old stones and the contemporary silhouette, offers a moment of astonishment and poetry. An original curiosity and an artistic nod, the view over Exeter College is an amusing stop of the discovery of Oxford.

What to see

Here you discover, raising the eyes towards the bell tower of Exeter College, the unusual statue of a man perched on the roof, a work of contemporary art that contrasts with the old architecture of this college founded in the fourteenth century, whose neo-Gothic chapel is inspired by the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris, in a striking contrast between centuries-old stones and modern art. The view over Exeter College is a curiosity of Oxford. It is an amusing stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The view over the bell tower of Exeter College is discovered from the street, in the heart of Oxford, reachable on foot. It is an open-air viewpoint, freely accessible. You discover it during a walk in the centre, raising the eyes. The works exhibited on the roof may vary according to the periods.

What is unusual on the roof of Exeter College in Oxford?

A statue representing a man, perched on the roof near the bell tower, a work of contemporary art that contrasts with the old architecture of this college founded in the fourteenth century and surprises the passers-by who raise the eyes.

Where is Exeter College of Oxford?

In the heart of Oxford, in England.