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Meeting Mona Lisa – Boll-art in Winchester

I was heading for my dinner at The Old Vine in Winchester when I glanced up and saw her standing there. The first time we met in Paris, I watched the crowds pressing up around her but I couldn’t get close. Then I ran into her again at an exhibition in Manchester and learned what lies below the varnish. It was Mona Lisa, the girl with the most famous smile in the world, staring at me from a painted street bollard.

Mona Lisa Bollard in Winchester Photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Mona Lisa Bollard in Winchester

Artistic Bollards in The Square

As I glanced around I realized that Mona wasn’t alone but was one of a crowd of artistic bollards in The Square in front of Winchester Cathedral. There was the loved up Klimt couple on a golden bollard, the red, yellow and blue Mondrian squares, the Californian Hockney pool, the Lautrec can-can girls and Picasso’s languid lovely . It was boll-art gone as wild as you might dare in slightly-sedate Winchester.

Painted Bollards in Winchester Photo Heatheronhertravels.com
Painted Bollards in Winchester

In Bristol we may paint murals on street hoardings and underpasses, but in amongst the medieval, historic and half timbered buildings of Winchester a painted bollard is street-art that’s quite in keeping with the surroundings.

Painted Bollards in Winchester Photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Painted Bollards in Winchester

The Old Vine in Winchester

To take a look at the painted bollards in Winchester, head for The Square near the entrance to Cathedral Close. I highly recommend the Old Vine in Winchester for drinks with friends in the trendy bar or dinner in the old inn restaurant. The smoked salmon mousse was both pretty and delicious and the bread and butter pudding is a house specialty.

Painted Bollards in Winchester Photo: Heatheronhertravels.com
Painted Bollards in Winchester

Now let’s see how well you know your artists – hover over the photos to discover which is which.

If you’re visiting Winchester you may also enjoy my article – On the Trail of Jane Austin in Winchester

Stay at the Winchester Hotel and Spa – located in the heart of ancient Winchester

Read my review here

Visitor information for Winchester

We enjoyed dinner at The Old Vine near the Cathedral in Winchester – an old inn with stylish bar on one side and lovely food among the oak beams on the other.

We stayed in Winchester at The Winchester Hotel, a modern and stylishly decorated hotel and spa within walking distance of the town centre. 

For more information on things to do in Winchester and the surrounding area you will find the following websites useful;

Visit Winchester – the Winchester Tourist Information Site

Visit Hampshire – for things to see and do in the country of Hampshire

Visit South East England – Your guide for fun things to do and places to visit in south-east England covering Kent, East and West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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Sunday 2nd of December 2012

[...] gets too crowded. We get slightly distracted by so many interesting things along the way, like the painted bollards around The Square where we had dinner the night before. Last night I’d only noticed Mona [...]

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Barbara

Wednesday 13th of June 2012

What a fun idea--elevating the mundane to art!

Heather

Wednesday 13th of June 2012

@Barbara Yes, I love street-art that's appropriate to its location and the bollards were perfect for a historic town like Winchester

Barbara Weibel

Saturday 9th of June 2012

I Love street art! I've seen bulls in Chicago, Flamingos in Miami, clowns in Sarasota, Florida, and apples in Hendersonville, North Carolina. But these bollards are great (frankly, I don't even know what a "bollard" is, but I like them painted up).

Heather

Saturday 9th of June 2012

@Barbara Well I think a bollard is designed to stop cars either parking or driving across the pavement - they are normally black which is very boring and having seen the ones in Winchester I'm wondering why more streets aren't painting them.