A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft

A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft is a public sculpture commemorating the 18th century feminist writer and advocate Mary Wollstonecraft in Newington Green, London. A work of the British artist Maggi Hambling, it was unveiled on 10 November 2020.[1][2]

A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft
ArtistMaggi Hambling
MediumBronze, granite
SubjectMary Wollstonecraft
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Coordinates51.55153°N 0.08511°W / 51.55153; -0.08511

The work is a representation of a naked female figure, emerging out of organic matter[3] which the BBC described as "a swirling mingle of female forms".[4] Wollstonecraft's most famous quotation, "I do not wish women to have power over men but over themselves", is inscribed on the plinth.[3] The sculpture is inspired by Wollstonecraft's claim to be "the first of a new genus".

Mary on the Green, a ten-year-long campaign to raise money for a commemorative sculpture to be sited opposite the Newington Green Unitarian Church that Wollstonecraft attended, reached its funding target in 2019.[5] Hambling was commissioned to create the work in 2018.[6][7][8]

Some critics took the figure to be a depiction of Mary Wollstonecraft, but the campaign behind it describes it as "a sculpture of an idea".[9][10] Hambling intended the figure to represent an everywoman, representing the birth of the feminist movement, rather than depicting Wollstonecraft herself.[9] The campaign behind the sculpture describes its form as being in deliberate opposition to "traditional male heroic statuary" of the Victorian era, instead showing a small figure who "has evolved organically from, is supported by, and does not forget, all her predecessors".[11]

The sculpture was criticised for its depiction of nudity and objectification of the female form,[12] with some considering it inappropriate to represent a feminist figure in this way. In response, Hambling noted that the figure in the work was not intended as a historical likeness of Wollstonecraft,[11] and said that she felt "clothes would have restricted her. Statues in historic costume look like they belong to history because of their clothes. It's crucial that she is 'now'."[13]

See also

References
  1. "Covid: Maggi Hambling unveils 75th birthday lockdown works". BBC.com. BBC. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  2. Brown, Mark (10 November 2020). "Mary Wollstonecraft finally honoured with statue after 200 years". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  3. Slawson, Nicola (16 May 2018). "Maggi Hambling picked to create Mary Wollstonecraft statue". The Guardian.
  4. "Mary Wollstonecraft statue: 'Mother of feminism' sculpture provokes backlash". BBC News. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  5. "Mary on the Green". www.maryonthegreen.org. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  6. Slawson, Nicola (16 May 2018). "Maggi Hambling picked to create Mary Wollstonecraft statue". The Guardian.
  7. Hedges, Frances (22 February 2019). "Maggi Hambling is paying tribute to the feminist icon Mary Wollstonecraft". Town & Country.
  8. Lockhart, Alastair (26 October 2020). "Wollstonecraft to make Newington Green return". Islington Now.
  9. "'It's a sculpture of an idea': Activist defends nude Mary Wollstonecraft statue amid backlash". The World from PRX. Retrieved 2020-11-13. But Rowlatt says a lot of the criticism comes from a place of misunderstanding. “That’s the mistake that pretty much everyone has made,” she said. “This is not a statue of Mary Wollstonecraft. It’s a sculpture of an idea.”
  10. Selvin, Claire (2020-11-10). "Mary Wollstonecraft Monument in London Generates Controversy". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  11. "Mary Wollstonecraft finally honoured with statue after 200 years". The Independent. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  12. Chakrabarti, Paromita (12 Nov 2020). "Sculpture celebrating Mary Wollstonecraft draws criticism".
  13. Dex, Robert (10 November 2020). "Artist behind Mary Wollstonecraft statue say critics missed the point". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.