When man obeys

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“When man obeys without being presumed good there is neither liberty nor a native land”
- Louis Antoine de Saint-Just (1767-1794)
By Ian Hamilton Finlay, 1983
Davies Street, Mayfair
London, September 2006

“Finlay, Scottish poet, writer, artist and gardener, is best known for his concrete or visual poetry. It is the unique feature on this award winning building, winner of Housing Design Awards 2005, won for its quality and craftsmanship. On the hand-set terracotta cladding of this luxurious office and residential block, Finlay’s three carved quotations of verse, from the French revolutionary poet Louis Antoine de Saint-Just, are all commentaries on freedom. ‘Les mots juste sont entendus par toutes les consciences’,(the right words are heard by all consciences) ‘two many laws too few examples’ and ‘where man obeys without being presumed good there is neither liberty nor a native land’. Saint-Just (1767-1794) was known as the Archangel of Terror, and met an early death, killed aged 26 by the guillotine. This work can be found on the Burnt Sienna Walk, between number 2, Antony Gormley’s ‘Room’ and number 3, Henry Moore’s ‘Time-Life Screen’, all three sculptures are embedded within the architecture.” (Ian Hamilton Finlay, Walks of Art)