In 1811 Baily gained the Royal Academy gold medal for a model of Hercules Restoring Alcestis to Admetus, and soon after he was elected ARA in 1817, and RA in 1821 when he exhibited one of his best pieces, Eve at the Fountain, now at the Cambridge Museum (pictured right). He was entrusted with the carving of the bas-reliefs on the south side of the Marble Arch in Hyde Park, and executed numerous busts and statues of public figures. Baily’s most celebrated work is however one of the best known landmarks in the world, the statue of Nelson, at the top of Nelson’s Column, in Trafalgar Square (pictured below left). Lord Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805 whilst defeating the French Navy. The Trafalgar Square memorial was however not completed until 1843.

The subject of Psyche is taken from Classical mythology; a beautiful princess but a mortal, she was rumoured to be more beautiful even than the goddess Aphrodite (Venus) herself. Aphrodite, displeased at hearing of her legendary beauty, sent her son Eros (Cupid) to make Psyche fall in love with the nearest person or thing. Instead of fulfilling his task, Eros became entranced by her beauty, fell in love with Psyche, and married her, ensuring she be made a goddess by Zeus ( Jupiter).