New Wollstonecraft Statue

November 10 2020

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

Shockwaves have been sent through social media today at the unveiling of a new statue dedicated to the feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797). Readers of this blog will be familiar with the rather iconic portraits of her by John Opie (1), (2).

Maggi Hambling's new sculpture, unveiled in Newington Green, London, has been described as showing "a silvery naked everywoman figure emerging free and defiantly from a swirling mingle of female forms... [it] is the world’s only memorial sculpture to a woman known as the “mother of feminism”." The Guardian reported that £143,000 was raised to complete the community project.

Supporters of the project have celebrated the sculpture's ability to "start a conversation", whilst others have used the terms 'botched', 'disrespect', 'sex object' and 'emerging from a lump'.

Update - Bendor's view on the statue is in The Art Newspaper here.

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