Juliet Rix’s new book London’s Statues of Women arrives at a moment of significant change in the capital’s public art landscape. The winning design for the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park by Foster + Partners features not one but two statues—a traditional equestrian one and a more informal depiction of the late Queen with Prince Philip. Their completion should build on the recent years, particularly 2022 and 2023, which saw more statues of women unveiled in London than of men, a fascinating trend highlighted in the book’s introduction.
Rix observes that we live in a boom time for statues, with the last two decades seeing many compelling additions to the roster of women honoured in this way. She affirms that this makes it the perfect time to take stock and introduce Londoners and visitors to these remarkable figures. In a fast-paced city where we are often distracted by our phones or podcasts, public art can become virtually invisible. Rix’s book is a call to action, urging us to look up and truly see the heroines who have stood on plinths for decades or even centuries, as well as the more recent additions to our squares, parks, and railway platforms.
One statue that is difficult to overlook is the effigy of suffragist Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square, a striking creation by artist Gillian Wearing. The campaign to add a woman to the “Great Men” of Parliament Square, led by Caroline Criado-Perez, and the subsequent public debate over which activist should be immortalised, garnered headlines for years. Whether one agrees with the choice or likes the artistic style, Wearing’s bronze has undeniably established its presence in the heart of Westminster since its unveiling in 2018. As a news producer covering protests, I have often been struck by how well the Fawcett statue “works.” When demonstrators gather at her plinth, chanting, placards raised, it creates a potent image. Fawcett, holding her banner aloft, seems to stand in solidarity with them, gazing resolutely toward the Houses of Parliament.
Many other statues chronicled in Rix’s book occupy far less prominent positions. A visit to the first public statue of a woman of colour requires a journey to Brixton railway station. Since 1986, a bronze likeness of local resident Joy Battick has graced Platform 1 as part of an installation by artist Kevin Atherton. When the artwork was refurbished in 2023, Atherton decided to add an older version of Battick. Joy II now stands on Platform 2, looking across at her younger self. The book features a moving interview with Joy, one of several fascinating conversations with artists or their subjects included in the book. Her reflection on being immortalised is particularly poignant. Now a grandmother and having fought cancer, she tells Rix: ”That meant nothing to me then. It does now—and it feels great.”
Another example of the more recent surge in commemorative art is the statue of Ada Salter, Bermondsey’s first elected female mayor in 1922, making her the first in London. She left her mark, playing a role in the creation of London’s green belt and working to improve housing and green spaces in her borough. Her work did not, however, get acknowledged with a statue until 2014, and this highlights how we are “playing catch up” in honouring inspirational women. While her husband, Dr. Alfred Salter, a fellow campaigner and Labour MP, was commemorated in 1991, it was only after his sculpture was stolen in 2011 and a recast was ordered, that the local community decided that Ada also deserved to be celebrated in this way. They are now located together on the path along the Thames in their old neighbourhood.
Rix condenses a wealth of information into the short biographies of Millicent Fawcett, Joy Battick, Ada Salter, and dozens of other notable women that form the core of London’s Statues of Women. These are interspersed with interviews that provide insight into artists’ creative process and the profound experience of being a sculptor’s subject. In addition, the book also includes an array of chapters on classical female figures and religious ones, as well more abstract pieces and war memorials.
Organised alphabetically and featuring hundreds of photographs, London’s Statues of Women is an easily accessible resource to pick up again and again. Perfect for looking up a specific statue, planning a sightseeing trip, or to follow one of the three “statue safari” maps included. Juliet Rix’s enthusiasm for these monumental women is truly infectious. I have certainly found myself looking up more often and have been motivated to find out more about many of the female activists, spies, and trailblazers she profiles. And I am off to visit Ada Salter by the Thames in Bermondsey.
