A groundbreaking seven-foot bronze statue depicting a postpartum mother in her raw, unfiltered state has been unveiled outside the Lindo Wing at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. The sculpture, titled "Mother Vérité," shows a woman cradling her newborn child while wearing only disposable postpartum underwear, with engorged breasts and a still-swollen belly. This powerful artwork stands in stark contrast to the polished birth announcements typically associated with these famous hospital steps, where Kate Middleton appeared with Prince George in 2013, perfectly coiffed and dressed in heels just hours after giving birth.
The statue was commissioned by Chelsea Hirschhorn, founder of baby and parenting brand Frida, and created by British digital sculptor Rayvenn Shaleigha D'Clark. The artwork represents the unglamorous reality of what the fourth trimester looks and feels like for most women, something rarely depicted in public art or media. After its initial display at the Lindo Wing, Mother Vérité will travel to Portman Square for Frieze and Miami for Art Basel before returning to London permanently.
The significance of this statue becomes clear when examining London's public art landscape. A 2021 audit by Art UK revealed that only four percent of London's public sculptures depict named women – fewer than the number depicting animals. No existing statues show women in the immediate aftermath of birth, highlighting the lack of representation for this universal female experience. This absence raises important questions about societal values and what experiences are deemed worthy of commemoration.
Hirschhorn's motivation for commissioning the piece stems from her belief that statues reflect what society considers heroic and worthy of remembrance. She wanted to "raise mothers onto the pedestal they deserve," recognizing the invisibility many women experience during the postpartum period. This invisibility extends beyond the initial recovery, affecting ongoing motherhood experiences where women often prioritize others' needs over their own health and well-being.
The postpartum experience, with its physical and emotional challenges, often comes as a shock to new mothers. Antenatal classes typically focus on birth preparation while giving little attention to recovery aftermath. Meanwhile, celebrities appear to "snap back" within weeks, creating unrealistic expectations. Many women report that their six-week postnatal checkups become focused on the baby rather than their own healing process.
D'Clark, known for combining digital sculpting and 3D scanning of physical human forms, employed a diverse group of women at different stages of their postpartum journeys to create the hyper-realistic portrayal. Every physical detail was carefully considered and accurately captured, including cracked nipples, veined hands and ankles, the bulging postpartum uterus, and even the Linea Negra – a challenging feature to accomplish in bronze. The woman's stance is both comfortable and confident, with her hand positioned intentionally on her lower back over her postpartum underwear.
This isn't Hirschhorn's first effort to challenge cultural depictions of motherhood. Her company Frida aired the first television advertisement showing lactating women during the 2021 Golden Globes, uses real postpartum women in marketing for recovery kits, and partnered with Sports Illustrated to spotlight a mother's C-section scar in print. These initiatives are part of a broader mission to "make the invisible visible."
While some may find the statue controversial or consider it "too much," supporters argue that honest representation matters. The hope is that even one woman might feel less alone after seeing this sculpture, or gain a different perspective on birth recovery beyond what's typically shown on social media. This impact, advocates suggest, would be more meaningful than yet another statue of a man on horseback – the type of monument that has traditionally dominated public spaces while ignoring women's experiences entirely.
