Controversial Pregnant Woman Sculpture

The skyline of the seaside town of Ilfracombe in north Devon, England, is about to change, and not many residents are happy about it. A 20 meter high statue of a naked pregnant women wielding a sword is being erected on the coast. One side the woman's skin is peeled back, revealing her skull, muscles and developing foetus in her stomach. The woman also carries a sword in her up stretched arm, and has scales hidden behind her back. The bronze statue called "Verity" is the creation of the controversial English artist Damien Hirst who lives locally and owns a restaurant in the town. According to Hirst, "Verity" is a modern-day allegory for truth and justice. The figure's stance is taken from Edgar Degas's 'Little Dancer of Fourteen Years' which the artist used in his earlier bronze creation "Virgin Mother". Hirst's statue has been loaned to the local authority by the artist for 20 years and will stand by the town's pier.