The sculpture

Maquette of Pity of War at Lichfield Cathedral
Maquette of Pity of War at Lichfield Cathedral

The concept behind the monument

‘The Pity of War’ concept has developed since the creation of an art work made to give recognition and invoke contemplation over the many lives lost due to war.  The art work shows a very poignant and moving iconic image representing the civilian victims of war.  The monument design and creation is by the sculptor, Peter Walker. The artist has chosen to portray the pity of war through the removal and abstraction of features, representing this symbolically through the simplistic portrait of a young child, eyes bound and mouth silenced (see the photograph above).  The sculpture will stand as recognition of unspoken stories and unseen memories that are so often unacknowledged and under-represented.

The monument will be cast in bronze and will be approximately 2m high, set on a plain rectangular stone plinth approximately 30cm tall.