Statues - Hither & Thither

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Parliament Square (WC2)

Jan Smuts

Bovenplaats, Cape Colony 1870 - Doomkloof, Irene, Transvaal 1950
prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher; 2nd Prime Minister of South Africa
(Wikipedia)

Jacob Epstein
1956

Description

Bronze statue of Jan Smuts in uniform with his hands clasped behind is back. He is leaning forward slightly with his left leg, slightly in front of the right, taking his weight.

Inscription(s)

JAN
CHRISTIAAN
SMUTS

1870-1950

Annotation

Unveiled 7 November 1956. Winston Churchill, on his return to power in 1951, wished to erect a statue to Smuts; he was, however, unable to perform the unveiling due to illness. The pedestal is of granite from South Africa.

Parliament Square

On Parliament Square, Westminster, are 10 statues of British and some foreign politicians.

Abraham Lincoln (1920)
George Canning (1832, here 1949)
Nelson Mandela (2007)
Sir Robert Peel (1877)
Benjamin Disraeli (1883)
Edward Smith-Stanley (1874)
Henry John Temple - Lord Palmerston (1876)
Jan Smuts (1956)
David Lloyd George (2007)
Sir Winston Churchill (1973)

Click here for a interactive map with the locations of the sculptures.

Sculptor

Sir Jacob Epstein (1880 - 1959), American-born British sculptor (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

Wikipedia, List of public art in the City of Westminster.
Bob Speel, London sculpture.
Wikipedia, Parliament Square.
John Blackwood, London's Immortals: The Complete Outdoor Commemorative Statues (London: Savoy, 1989), p. 234-235.
Andrew Kershman, London's Monuments (London: Metro Publ., 2013), p. 69.
Peter Matthews, London's Statues and Monuments (Botley: Shire, 2012), p. 31.

Locatie (N 51°30'2" - W 0°7'36") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: gblo046; Photograph: 3 August 2014
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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