A new sculpture on Trafalgar Square: Tschabalala Self’s Lady in Blue

A new sculpture was unveiled on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square on 10 September: Lady in Blue by the American artist Tschabalala Self. It is free to see at any hour — the square never closes.

What is up there now

A bronze figure of a young woman caught mid-stride. The bronze is patinated a deep lapis lazuli blue, which gives the work its name. Head, arms and legs are left dark while the dress is bright blue; from a distance the figure looks dressed in actual cloth.

The artist describes her as an everywoman — someone in whom a great many people can recognise somebody. In her words this is a Londoner walking forward with intent and purpose, and that is the spirit of the city.

London's deputy mayor for culture, Justine Simons, called the work a bold contemporary statement and noted that a confident young woman will make a striking addition to this historic part of the city.

Tschabalala Self was born and works in New York and is known for painting and collage dealing with the body, the female figure and African-American identity. The Fourth Plinth is her first major public sculpture in Britain.

Why the plinth is empty in the first place

The story explains half the charm of the place. The plinth in the north-west corner of the square was built in 1841 for an equestrian statue of King William IV. The money for the statue was never raised — and it stood empty for over a century and a half.

In 1998 it began hosting temporary contemporary art, and since 2005 the programme has been run by the Mayor of London. The Fourth Plinth has become the country's leading platform for public art: every couple of years one work replaces another, and every one of them starts an argument.

The previous occupant was Mil Veces un Instante by the Mexican artist Teresa Margolles — 850 plaster casts of the faces of trans people and women, stacked in the manner of a tzompantli, the Aztec skull rack. In 2028 Lady in Blue will be replaced by a work from Andra Ursuţa.

How to see it

Trafalgar Square, north-west corner. Nearest tube is Charing Cross (Northern and Bakerloo), with Leicester Square and Embankment close by. Entry is free, the sculpture stands in the open air, and there are no opening hours.

While you are there: the National Gallery is directly behind the plinth, entry to the permanent collection is free, and it is one of the best places in London to step into for twenty minutes on your way somewhere. Next door, St Martin-in-the-Fields runs free lunchtime concerts and has a café in the crypt.

The best light for a photograph is towards evening, when the sun drops behind the National Gallery and the blue dress stops throwing glare.