Wednesday 23 November 2022 01:35 PM James Cleverly 'not worried' about colonial mural of a black boy that hangs in ... trends now
The Foreign Secretary has insisted he is not bothered by a British Empire-era mural in his department that depicts Africa as a naked black boy carrying a fruit basket - after he walked past the artwork with South Africa's leader Cyril Ramaphosa.
The mural is one of five in the Foreign Office that were completed between 1914 and 1921 by artist Sigismund Goetze.
They line the staircase in the palatial Whitehall building, which itself dates from the 1860s.
The mural featuring the depiction of Africa is called Britannia Pacificatrix. Goetze referred to the child as 'a little Swaheli boy', to 'remind us of our obligations, and the possibilities, in the dark continent.
When she was shadow Foreign Secretary in 2020, Labour's Lisa Nandy reportedly called on the Foreign Office to remove all five of the murals, which depict the evolution of the British Empire.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, whose mother was born in Sierra Leone, was asked by the BBC about the Britannia Pacificatrix mural yesterday after he had welcomed Mr Ramaphosa to the Foreign Office during his state visit to the UK.
He insisted: 'It doesn't worry me. Genuinely, it doesn't worry me. If anyone had a right to feel maybe insulted or upset, I think it might be me, but it doesn't worry me because we have got other fish to fry.'
Mr Cleverly added that he and Mr Ramaphosa walked past the mural and 'neither of us looked at it', because they were 'too busy talking about the important stuff that we have got to talk about.'
The Foreign Secretary has insisted he is not bothered by a British Empire-era mural in his department that depicts Africa as a naked black boy carrying a fruit basket. Above: In the corner (circled) of Britannia Pacificatrix, there is what Sigismund Goetze referred to as 'a little Swaheli boy', to 'remind us of our obligations, and the possibilities, in the dark continent'
James Cleverly, pictured above with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday as the pair prepared to welcome South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa
The names of the other murals are: Britannia Sponsa, Britannia Nutrix, Britannia Bellatrix and Britannia Colonorum Mater.
According to the Foreign Office's online photo album they show the 'origin, education, development, expansion and triumph of the British Empire, leading up to the Covenant of the League of Nations'.
Goetze took seven years to complete the murals, which cover around 3,000 square feet of canvas.
Britannia Pacificatrix is the final one. It shows Britannia greeting the US and other nations as she is flanked by members of the British Empire, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
All are portrayed as adults, with only the depiction of the continent of Africa standing out.
Speaking of the mural, Mr Cleverly also told the BBC: 'It is just over 100 years old. And the depiction of Africa is a small naked child with a basket of fruit.
Mr Cleverly welcomed South African president Cyril Ramaphosa (pictured) to the Foreign Office during his state visit to the UK
'And yet, today we are hosting the President of South Africa as an equal partner on the world stage. Earlier on today I had the opportunity to host the president of Sierra Leone, which is the country of my mother's birth.
'And I am a half African Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.'
He added: 'I walked past it with the head of state of an African nation three hours ago... neither of us looked at it because we were too busy talking about the important stuff that we have got to talk about.'
In 2020, Ms Nandy wrote to her then counterpart Dominic Raab asking him to set out his views on the murals, according to The Guardian.
She is believed to have expressed her concerns that the murals were expressing how the Foreign Office wished to welcome foreign leaders and dignitaries, and how Britain wanted to portray
