The Foreign Office came under pressure to remove five British Empire-era murals from its walls in the wake of racism protests across Britain.
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy is believed to have raised the century-old works by Sigismund Goetze which line the grand staircase in the palatial Whitehall building with her counterpart Dominic Raab.
The pieces, completed between 1914 and 1921, include images of empire seen as problematic by campaigners, including a representation of Africa as a fruit-bearing little boy surrounded by white Anglo-Saxon adults.
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’
Britannia Sponsa: This represents the Anglo-Saxons arriving in Britain, associated with legendary brothers Hengist and Horsa coming to Kent in the fifth century. It shows the Anglo-Saxons violently taking possession of Britannia, showing the racial superiority of the Anglo-Saxons over the Celts and Romans
Britannia Colonorum Mater: Britannia stands proudly in this mural, ruling the waves and watching her sons travel to ‘spread the race’ into the colonies and create the world empire. Along with Britannia Sponsa, the two works present a simple picture that the Anglo-Saxons arrived were nurtured and then left to conquer the world
Brittania Bellatrix: This deals with the ‘adolescent period of the race, where the sons of soil learn the skills of war’ and are educated before going abroad to spread the empire
Britannia Nutrix: The mural shows a nourishing mother taking care of the infant race and teaching them about the arts of agriculture, music, pottery, and spinning
There are five murals on the staircase, entitled, Britannia Pacificatrix, Britannia Sponsa, Britannia Nutrix, Brittania Bellatrix and Britannia Colonorum Mater
Caroline Dakers, professor of cultural history at University of the Arts London, told the Guardian: ‘I can understand why people feel this work should be removed from a government building, but I think it should be preserved somewhere else, such as a museum.
‘We can then have a discussion in a multilayered way and reach a greater understanding why Britain had these views about empire.’
Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy, pictured in Brighton in February
There are five murals on the staircase, entitled Britannia Pacificatrix, Britannia Sponsa, Britannia Nutrix, Brittania 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’.
The Foreign Office has been asked to comment.
It comes as the Government finds itself embroiled in another race row.
Boris Johnson was facing fresh criticism today after choosing a No10 policy adviser who once branded the idea of institutional racism as a ‘myth’ to set up a commission on racial inequality.
The choice of Munira Mirza, the head of the Prime Minister’s policy unit and a former deputy mayor from his time in charge of London, sparked uproar from campaigners and Labour MPs.
They claim her previous comments on race should prevent her from holding a role in setting up the investigation, launched in the wake of the protests which swept Britain in the last week.
They also raised concerns over her alleged decision to give a role to Trevor Phillips, the former head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, who has angered some with past comments on British Asian communities.
Foreign visitors arriving to see Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (pictured yesterday) see the murals as they climb the grand staircase in the heart of the ornate building
The choice of Munira Mirza, the head of the Prime minister’s policy unit and a former deputy mayor from his time in charge of London, sparked uproar from campaigners and Labour MPs
Boris Johnson last night defended his decision to launch a commission on racial inequality after Labour claimed it was a ‘back of a fag packet’ plan designed to ‘assuage the Black Lives Matter protest’
Dawn Butler, the Labour MP and former equalities minister, told the Guardian Ms Mirza’s role ‘undermines its credibility from the very outset by appointing someone who stands by Johnson’s racist comments, rejected the Lammy review, saying ”institutional racism’ is ‘a perception more than a reality”, and opposed Theresa May’s very own Racial Disparities Audit’.
She added: ‘I am tired of fighting the government on this issue. The only review needed is into all the past consultations and reviews as well as their failure to implement over 200 prior recommendations.’
And the Institute for Race Relations ThinkTank said: ‘Any inquiry into inequality has to acknowledge structural and systemic factors.
‘Munira Mirza’s previous comments describes a ”grievance culture” within the anti-racist field and she has previously argued that institutional racism is ‘a perception more than a reality.’
What do Goetze’s murals around the Foreign Office staircase show and why are they controviersial?
The five murals decorating the Foreign Office staircase were commissioned in 1914 and finished in 1921 by artist Sigismund Goetze, under the title of the ‘Origin, education, development, expansion and triumph of the British Empire’.
They were called Britannia Sponsa, Britannia Nutrix, Brittania Bellatrix, Brittania Mater Colonorum and Britannia Pacificatrix – and are perceived to give the impression that the Anglo-Saxon race is superior to all others.
They aim to reveal a history of the Anglo-Saxon race – from the Angles and Saxons landing in Britain, to victory during the First World War – told around the symbolic female figure of Britannia.
Here is an outline of what can be seen in each mural as visitors climb the grand staircase:
Britannia Sponsa
This represents the Anglo-Saxons arriving in Britain, associated with legendary brothers Hengist and Horsa coming to Kent in the fifth century.
It shows the Anglo-Saxons violently taking possession of Britannia, showing the racial superiority of the Anglo-Saxons over the Celts and Romans.
Britannia Colonorum Mater
Britannia stands proudly in this mural, ruling the waves and watching her sons travel to ‘spread the race’ into the colonies and create the world empire.
Along with Britannia Sponsa, the two works present a simple picture that the Anglo-Saxons arrived were nurtured and then left to conquer the world.
Brittania Bellatrix
This deals with the ‘adolescent period of the race, where the sons of soil learn the skills of war’.
They are then educated before going abroad to spread the empire.
Britannia Nutrix
The mural shows a nourishing mother taking care of the infant race.
She also teaches them about the arts of agriculture, music, pottery and spinning.
Britannia Pacificatrix
The final panel shows how the Anglo-Saxon race has achieved the world domination it desired following the British victory in the First World War. All the allies and other nations are deemed less important, while the peace at Versailles is shown as the fulfilment of God’s kingdom on earth.
This is made clear by the words ‘Gloria in excelsis Deo’ (Glory to God in the highest), connected to the birth of Christ, framing the architectural backdrop. But in the corner there is also what Goetze referred to as ‘a little Swaheli boy’, to ‘remind us of our obligations, and the possibilities, in the dark continent’.