From Princess Diana to Kate Middleton, The Princess of Wales, the steps outside the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington have long-served as the backdrop for royal post-birth photo calls. Yet, a new sculpture, which has just been unveiled, aims to challenge the picture-perfect expectations these images have placed on women.
What is the statue of?
Mother Vérité was commissioned by the founder of baby and parenting brand Frida Chelsea Hirschhorn, and sculpted by artist Rayvenn Shaleigha D’Clark. The seven-foot bronze figure portrays a new mother, holding her newborn baby and proudly embracing her post-partum body.
After spending some time outside the Lindo Wing, the statue will move to Portman Square for Frieze and then Miami for Art Basel. Mother Vérité will then be returned to London for the long term.
Why is the statue so significant?
One of the big reasons the statue is gaining so much adoration is because of its unfiltered depiction of a post-partum body, which is a striking contrast to the polished images of the royals standing on the steps.
Vogue writer, Lisa Niven- Phillips explains that “rather than the polished birth announcements we’ve come to associate those steps with, this statue represents the raw and unglamorous reality of what the fourth trimester looks and feels like for most women.”
Another reason this statue is so monumental is because of the lack of public sculptures depicting women. In fact, the situation is so dire that a 2021 audit by Art UK found that only 4% of statues in London are of women. Shockingly, that’s fewer statues than that of animals. Seems like the capital is in desperate need for more statues just like this.