The foundation stone of Coventry Cathedral was laid in 1956. The
Cathedral is a fine example of the integration of art and
architecture, and features prominently one of Jacob Epstein's last
sculptures, 'St Michael and the Devil', which won immediate acclaim.
Yet, as our publication entitled 'The Hyde Park atrocity' testifies,
Epstein's work was not always received so well. The design and
reception of Epstein's memorial to William Henry Hudson (naturalist
and writer) was fraught with difficulties. It depicts Rima, the
heroine of Hudson's most famous novel. Epstein's Rima sketchbook is
held in our archive. The Hudson memorial is the subject of the
caricature and satirical verse that you see today, and the author,
revealed in a press cutting, is Albert Buhrer.
