Is the new statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II really that ... bad?

There are few people in the world as immediately recognisable as the late Queen Elizabeth II. For more than 70 years, her likeness has been imprinted on coins, painted into portraits, pressed into records, screened onto t-shirts, graffitied on walls and even turned into a Barbie doll.

That may be why any attempt to immortalise the longest-reigning British monarch in statue form will inevitably lead to public critique – and land the artist in the hot seat. Case in point: the newest addition to Antrim Castle Gardens in Northern Ireland.

The sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II - clad in a headscarf, tartan skirt and quilted vest – standing next to the previously erected statue of her husband, Prince Philip, in Parterre Garden. Credit: Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

In the grounds’ Parterre Garden, a sculpture of Elizabeth – clad in a headscarf, tartan skirt and quilted vest – now stands next to a previously erected statue of her husband, Prince Philip. The bronze couple, both crafted by Belfast-based artist Anto Brennan, look over a patch of pansies with two of the queen’s beloved corgis at their feet.

But after its unveiling last week, the sculpture of the queen drew a critical response online – with comparisons to Robin Williams’s character in the 1993 movie Mrs Doubtfire, a character in the animated film series Wallace and Gromit and “a bodybuilder in old person drag”.

“It looks nothing like her, but [to] be fair it’s not like there are images of her face all over the place,” one person remarked dryly on Reddit, mixing in a dose of the understated sarcasm that defines British humour.

Other Facebook users, however, had kinder words; one said the sculpture “does befit the memory of our late monarch”. Another lamented the scrutiny that had fallen on the statue.

“Such a shame people can only find fault in these but don’t think about the time and effort this guy has put into making them,” the person wrote.

Still, the criticism prompted the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, which commissioned the statue, to turn off comments on a Facebook post in which it hailed the artwork for capturing “Her Majesty in a dignified pose, reflecting her grace, steadfastness and lifelong dedication to public service”.

Brennan – best known for crafting the political figurine chess set that former Prime Minister Tony Blair reportedly used to explain Northern Irish attitudes toward the Iraq War to former president George W. Bush – and the borough council did not immediately respond to The Washington Post’s requests for comment.

In a statement to Sky News, the council acknowledged the sculpture’s divisiveness but said it had been met with a “general positive response” and was “warmly received by most who have seen it in person”.

Artist Anto Brennan with his sculputre of Queen Elizabeth II.Credit: Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council

“This thoughtful arrangement has resonated strongly with visitors, who appreciate the personal touch it brings to the memorial, within the gardens,” the statement said, according to the outlet. “While social media may amplify certain negative viewpoints, the council encourages everyone to visit Antrim Castle Gardens and experience the sculpture firsthand.”

So, is the sculpture really as … well, bad, as the throngs of netizens make it seem?

Clara Lieu, founder of the visual arts educational platform Art Prof, said one of her main gripes with the statue is its lack of likeness to its subject.

“I don’t look at it and say, ‘Oh, it’s Queen Elizabeth,’” said Lieu, who has a master’s degree in sculpture. “And I’m not saying that likeness has to be instantaneous for an audience, but it needs to be enough that maybe other elements of the sculpture could fill in the blank as to who she is.”

The two corgis help signal whom the sculpture is portraying, Lieu said. But one of the problems, she said, is the queen’s clothing. While her skirt and headscarf are not unlike the more casual ensembles she sported in her Balmoral Castle summer residence and on other laid-back occasions, it’s still quite different from the combo of slim-brimmed hat, A-line dress and tailored jacket that the queen turned into a uniform.

“I don’t look at it and say, ‘Oh, it’s Queen Elizabeth’.”

Clara Lieu, founder of the visual arts educational platform Art Prof.

“If you take a public figure and you put them in a context in which they are not commonly seen, the artist is making their life incredibly difficult,” Lieu said. “I mean, just imagine how hard it’d be to make a statue of Michael Jordan in a tuxedo without any hint of a basketball or uniform.

“If you’re going to depart from what we typically associate with a public figure, you’ve got to really do the work in other parts of the sculpture to convey that. But here, he’s taken away so much.”

Another problem, Lieu said, is that the statue looks “stiff” with an almost wooden-like posture. She added that the fact that the queen was a later addition to an existing statue of Prince Philip might have been “a total recipe for disaster” because it’s hard to add an element to an already-standing composition.

Still, Lieu acknowledged the immense challenge that it is to bring someone to life in a sculpture – especially when that someone just so happens to be one of the most photographed people in history.

“I feel for artists who make pieces that are so public and so easily judged by the world,” she said, adding that “people are extremely judgmental with pieces like this”.

Other artistic renderings of the British royal family have recently been met with criticism. An intensely red portrait of King Charles, unveiled in May, was compared to a “bloody mess”. And a portrait of Catherine, Princess of Wales, that was commissioned for Tatler magazine’s July cover also generated a wave of online backlash.

The Washington Post

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