High above Oxford’s Broad street, a seven-foot-tall bronze figure stands quietly on the roof of Blackwell’s art and poster shop at Exeter College. The sculpture is part of Another Time II, a series by Antony Gormley made from casts of his own body.
What makes the statue especially fun is how often it goes unnoticed. Broad Street is one of the city’s most heavily traveled routes, threading together bookstores, museums, and historic colleges. Countless people walk beneath the sculpture every day without ever looking up.Â
According to Atlas Obscura, many people only realize it’s there after several visits, and spotting it suddenly (especially at night) would be a startling experience. The police have occasionally received calls from people worried someone was about to jump off the roof. Students, meanwhile, have turned the figure into an occasional canvas, sneaking up to the roof to dress it in costumes.
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