What is recorded here
Jacob Epstein's Rima memorial in Hyde Park, unveiled in 1925, commemorates naturalist and writer W. H. Hudson through a carved figure from his novel Green Mansions.
Why it was made
Friends of Hudson commissioned a memorial after his death because his writing drew public attention to birds, landscapes and the damage caused by collecting and development.
People and events
Jacob Epstein carved the relief of Rima, the forest girl from Hudson's novel. Former prime minister Stanley Baldwin unveiled it in May 1925.
How it worked
The nude figure rises among birds and plants above a pool, presenting Hudson through the natural world he described rather than as a conventional portrait.
What remains
The carved stone screen and basin survive in the park's bird sanctuary. Early attacks on the figure's nudity and later weathering led to repair and renewed debate.
Why it mattered
The memorial links literature with early nature protection, while the argument around Epstein's modern figure reveals changing limits placed on public art.
Sources for this account
Sources checked 16 August 2026.
From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) n1973787013
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Photo credits
- David Hawgood, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- DS Pugh, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Chris Whippet, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Robin Webster, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Philip Halling, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Roger Templeman, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Stephen Richards, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Oast House Archive, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Robin Sones, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- N Chadwick, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
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