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Statue of Jan Smuts, Parliament Square

Coordinates: 51°30′03″N 0°07′37″W / 51.50087°N 0.12690°W / 51.50087; -0.12690
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Statue of Jan Smuts
The statue in 2013
Map
ArtistJacob Epstein
MediumBronze sculpture
SubjectJan Smuts
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Coordinates51°30′03″N 0°07′37″W / 51.50087°N 0.12690°W / 51.50087; -0.12690

A life-size bronze statue of Jan Smuts by the British artist Jacob Epstein stands on the north side of Parliament Square in London, United Kingdom, between a statue of Lord Palmerston and a statue of David Lloyd George.[1]

Description

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The statue depicts him in his military uniform as a field marshal, leaning forward with his left leg advanced, as if walking forward. The statue stands on a pedestal of granite from South Africa, which bears the inscription JAN/ CHRISTIAN/ SMUTS/ 1870–1950.

History

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After Winston Churchill won the general election in October 1951, he proposed erecting a statue in Parliament Square as a memorial to Smuts, who had died in September 1950. Churchill retired as prime minister in 1955, and was too ill to perform the unveiling in November 1956; it was unveiled instead by the Speaker of the House of Commons, William Morrison. The statue became a Grade II listed building in 1970.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Statues". Greater London Authority. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  2. ^ "STATUE OF FIELD MARSHAL JAN SMUTS, non Civil Parish - 1226373 | Historic England". Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
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