Icon’s sculpture is ridiculed by his own family… can YOU guess who it is meant to be?

A sculpture of a 19th century icon was condemned by their grandson as ‘absolutely hideous’.

The model of famous playwright Oscar Wilde is unveiled on Dovehouse Green in south-west London, close to the writer’s former home.

Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland, an expert on the life and work of his relative, has ridiculed the bronze statue of Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, calling it “unacceptable”.

“I’m all for any kind of innovation in modern art. But this seems unacceptable to me. It looks absolutely awful,” he told the Observer.

Mr Holland added that the statue bears no resemblance to Wilde and does not reflect the genius of one of the greatest playwrights in English literary history.

Oscar Wilde, who wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, died in poverty in 1900 at the age of 46.

Wilde’s death followed one of the most famous trials in British history and his imprisonment for homosexuality

Wilde is one of the most famous playwrights in English literary history

Wilde, who wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, died in poverty in 1900 at the age of 46.

His death followed one of the most famous trials in British history and his imprisonment for his homosexuality.

Paolozzi, the British sculptor who died in 2005, is famous for his 1986 mosaics at Tottenham Court Road tube station and his 1995 bronze statue of Sir Isaac Newton next to the British Library.

The sculptor submitted a design of the model to a committee in 1995, arguing that Wilde’s sculpture should be conceptual rather than representational. However, the sculpture was rejected and another model was selected.

The Paolozzi Foundation said in a statement: “The Foundation believes that everyone has the right to their opinion, including Oscar Wilde’s grandson. We also note that the Oscar Wilde Society is fully supportive.”