From the beloved Colin Firth thirst trap to ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ and a bizarre zombie apocalypse movie, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is the gift that keeps on giving. That and many other Jane Austen classics are proof that the author’s work is something that continues to captivate readers across the globe.
So, it makes sense that Winchester Cathedral, the author’s final resting place, would want to commemorate the her 250th birthday. To mark the occasion, the cathedral had been hoping to erect a £100,000 statue of Austen in its Inner Close, created by sculptor Martin Jennings (the same guy behind King Charles’s coin portrait). Here’s what the statue’s maquette (not completely finished) version looks like.
But, turns out, that’s a pretty controversial idea. Locals and Austen fans are worried about the statue attracting unwanted tourists and leading to the ‘Disneyfication’ of a place of worship.
Elizabeth Proudman, a Jane Austen expert, argued in the Guardian: ‘I don’t think any statue is appropriate for this part of Winchester Cathedral. The Inner Close is where the monks had a private area, it’s a special place.
‘I don’t think we want to turn it into Disneyland-on-Itchen [the river that runs through the city]. I don’t think the Inner Close is the place to attract a lot of American tourists to come and have a selfie with Jane Austen.’
She added that Austen herself wouldn't be keen on the idea because she was apparently a very private person and hated publicity. Another critic, Phil Howe, owner of Hidden Britain tours, said that the statue risks ‘hijacking’ Austen’s brand, like (he claimed) the city of Bath has done.
Winchester Catherdral has hit back at the comments, though. Catherine Ogle, dean of the cathedral, said in a letter to the Hampshire Chronicle: ‘The proposed location of the statue in the Inner Close is close to the route she would have taken when visiting her nephews at the nearby Winchester College and her friends at No 12 The Close.
‘The Cathedral has hoped to give Jane Austen a fitting tribute as a sculpture for some years. The opportunity has now arisen with a significant number of private donors and small grant providers keen to see in place the splendid and sensitive design by the acclaimed sculptor Martin Jennings.’
Jennings himself said: ‘This is a work of the imagination as, I must emphasise, every work of art is. We don’t know very much at all about what she looked like. I want the sculpture to express her spirit.
’In life, she may have been aghast at being represented in this way. But after death, she belongs to all of us. I don’t think we have, in any way, invaded her private personality. If she was writing, her head would be bent over and looking down. The figure is more dynamic.’
More statue stories with Time Out
Austen’s sculpture is not the only one to draw controversy – you might remember all the hoohah around London’s contentious Mary Wollstonecraft statue a few years ago. Around the same time we at Time Out shared some other scandalous stories behind some of London's most well-known statues. We’ve also covered a brand new Queen Elizabeth II statue at the Royal Albert Hall, bronze dedications to the Rolling Stones in Kent and why one random guy has seven separate memorials in the capital.
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