Statue of Jan Smuts, Bronze statue in Parliament Square, Westminster, England.
The Statue of Jan Smuts is a bronze figure in military uniform standing on a granite pedestal on the north side of Parliament Square in Westminster, London. It shows him mid-stride, with one leg extended forward, giving the impression that he is moving ahead with purpose.
The statue was created by sculptor Jacob Epstein and unveiled in 1956, a decade after the end of the Second World War. Smuts had served as Prime Minister of South Africa twice and held the rank of Field Marshal in the British Army.
Jan Smuts is one of the very few non-British figures to be honored with a statue on Parliament Square, which is otherwise reserved for British leaders and royalty. This placement reflects the degree to which he was seen as part of British public life, not merely as a foreign ally.
The statue stands outdoors on the north side of Parliament Square, which means you can see it at any time of day without needing to enter a building or buy a ticket. It sits between the statues of Lord Palmerston and David Lloyd George, so it is straightforward to find once you are in the square.
The granite used for the pedestal was brought from South Africa, making the base itself a physical link to the country Smuts led. Epstein completed the work not long before his death in 1959, and this statue was among his final major commissions.
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