Motherhood – Manchester, UK - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

Manchester had been considering erecting a statue to Queen Victoria since 1850. It wanted to enhance the esplanade outside the Royal Infirmary and make it a place to hold public sculpture.

Although a number of statues were erected from 1853 onwards it was not until the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897 that plans finally came to fruition.

However after a number of delays the statue was not erected until 1901 when Queen Victoria had actually died.

At the rear of the statue in a blue mosaic niche is the female allegorical figure of Motherhood. It is a youthful woman semi draped with her breasts exposed. She is holding two sleeping infants to her chest. She is wearing a crown of roses and thorns beneath her robe.

The sculptor Edward Onslow Ford, specialised in carving female figures. He had originally proposed using white marble, but at the time the industrial city of Manchester suffered badly from air pollution with smoke from the factory chimneys.

Apparently it was Queen Victoria herself who recommended the statue should be cast in bronze.

On the plinth below Motherhood is a quote from Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part II play - ‘Let me but bear your love, I'll bear your cares’

I’m not sure how this fits into the play, but the quote is certainly appropriate for a statue dedicated to Motherhood.

Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Motherhood Figure Type: Human Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Edward Onslow Ford Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: 10/10/1901 Materials used: Bronze Location: Piccadilly Gardens

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Date Logged Log User Rating   12/20/2017 Poole/Freeman visited it