‘Leaning woman’ statue unveiled after restoration – with a royal seal of approval witnessed by schoolchildren

HRH The Duke of Gloucester has unveiled a post-war statue in Hammersmith, restored after a six year campaign by Heritage of London Trust.

The Grade II listed Leaning Woman statue was on the Heritage at Risk Register for seven years but a campaign led by Heritage of London Trust helped restore the statue, with the support of residents and Hammersmith & Fulham council.

Commissioned by the London County Council (LCC) in 1958 as part of its post-war Patronage of the Arts scheme, the statue was intended to connect the busy new A4 road with the serene classical church and square behind it.

Like many of these LCC-commissioned artworks, the work was site specific, and in this case the figure ‘leans’ with the flow of the traffic. The statue’s arms rest lightly on an absent surface and her weight is cantilevered from the base.

Her floating appearance was intended to link her surroundings ‘in neo-classical calm with the swiftness of the fast modern world’.

The statue’s Czech sculptor Dr Karel Vogel had been an émigré arriving in London in 1938, who taught at the Camberwell School of Art. His pre-war work was conventionally classical, but like other artists of the time he began experimenting with industrial materials such as concrete. He exhibited at the Festival of Britain in 1951.

The statue is cast in concrete around an iron armature. The model for the piece was another refugee, East German émigré Jutta Cardew (nee Zemke) who became an art student and family friend of Vogel’s at Camberwell.

Her son, Alex Cardew, spoke at the event, recalling that the young model was leaning on an upturned broom with a music stand in front of her with a book to read.

Initially unpopular, with Hammersmith councillors claiming it was a modern monstrosity.

‘I just can’t understand it’ (West London Observer March 4, 1959) this was mostly overcome by the time the statue was unveiled in 1959, but to remaining doubters, Vogel said: “It is of course modern because it is rather more daring than what one would have done before.”

Listed Grade II in 2016, by 2017 the statue was on the Heritage at Risk Register with its iron armature corroding and partly protruding and the concrete’s outer layer wearing away.

In 2018, Heritage of London Trust started a campaign to restore it, along with residents. The trust gave a grant of £10,000 and ran a crowdfunding campaign in the summer of 2023 which raised an additional £12,000 from the public, and £16,000 has been contributed from Hammersmith & Fulham council.

Restoration has involved removal of previous repairs, halting corrosion, repairing cracks in the concrete, filling of seam joints and a protective specialist coating.

Undergrowth blocking the view from the road has been cut back, a display panel added and a path will soon be laid to the statue for visitors.

 

 

Pupils from St Peter’s Church Primary School and Good Shepherd Primary School read poems and spoke about their experience. Rebecca Chakreska, nine, said: “I think it’s important for young people and communities to get involved as it’s an opportunity to learn more about who and what their community is made of.”

Rock Montgomery-Randall, 11, whose school helped fundraise said: “It’s been an amazing experience. We actively participated in raising awareness about this significant piece of art and combined education with activism, preserving a piece of history.”

Grace Mensah, age 11, who was also involved in the door-to-door fundraising said: “I feel really proud of us because we went door-to-door, knocking on them with leaflets to ask if they want to donate, and I think people did donate quite a bit of money to help us to bring this Leaning Woman back stronger. Carved concrete sculptures made by pupils from Westside Alternative Provision School were also on display.

Dr Nicola Stacey said: “We’re so thrilled to have helped restore this wonderful piece of post-war art. She can be admired now by anyone passing on the A4 and will be for generations to come.”

Joanna Edmunds, said: “We’re proud to have this important landmark on our doorstep and for others to discover her story. It’s wonderful that the Leaning Woman’s future is now secured.”

Pictured top: The Duke of Gloucester with pupils at the unveiling (Picture: Heritage of London Trust)