The sculptor Thomas Brock was born in Worcester, and studied at the Royal Academy Schools from 1867. He had previously worked in the studio of the sculptor J. H. Foley, and when that artist died, Brock completed many of his unfinished commissions.
This gave him a smooth route into respectability. He became ARA in 1883 and RA in 1891and was knighted in 1911. His bust of Longfellow (Westminster Abbey); his colossal Victoria Memorial, in front of Buckingham Palace; and his equestrian statue, Black Prince (Leeds), are notable examples of his work.