
LEANING WOMAN

I can relate to the immigrant artist of leaning woman because I moved from my home country and had to get adapted to the British language and the way of the life style. For this work to go to waste is sad.”
Isabel Paulo, 15
"Normally, I thought that artwork had a pointless history but like after this I feel completely different about that
David, 15

"There was a statue that I had no idea about and there was a sculptor and the statue was hiding behind those bushes but it was a very big important thing that you know about the history of it”
Jude, 10
The Leaning Woman is a semi-nude 1950s sculpture cast in concrete by Dr Karel Vogel who arrived in Britain from Prague in 1938. As the modern world moved swiftly by, her floating limbo lean reflected a ‘neo-classical calm’. Karel Vogel worked as a sculptor and taught in several schools. This work was originally commissioned by London’s patronage of the arts scheme, which placed over 70 artworks around schools, public buildings and estates. The statue was not immediately appreciated by the general public who called it a ‘modern monstrosity’! It is now much loved locally and is being restored.
“I would like to bring my granny [to see the Leaning Woman] because she was born in the war.
Hannah, 9


“I found the statue interesting because, like I said, usually the statues and the important stuff, are more centre of London and this was different to that”
Amelia, 10
“People want to see what the history of an area is before they were there, other religions can see what some Jewish people had to suffer and how it was part of their history.”
Bobby, 15
CREATIVE RESPONSE

“Vogel came from a different country, it was during the time that London got bombed and that piece of art was made during a struggled time so it technically represents that you can do anything no matter the situation.”
Daniel, 14