Draped Seated Woman, 1957-58 is a bronze sculpture by renowned British artist, Henry Moore, which has come to be fondly referred to as Old Flo.
Inspiration behind the form:
In September 1940, during World War Two, Henry Moore and his wife were returning home by London Underground. They found the platform packed with men, women and children, sheltering from air raids above. Families were huddled together, wrapped up to keep warm. When he got home, Moore drew the scene from memory. Over the following nights, he returned repeatedly to observe the sheltering Londoners and drew many more scenes. The works of art, known as The Shelter Drawings, were very popular, and elements of them can be seen in Draped Seated Woman – even though Moore didn’t start sculpting her for another 16 years.
East Ender:
In June 1956, Draped Seated Woman was placed in her east London home on the Stifford Estate in Stepney. Not everyone welcomed the sculpture with open arms, but, before long, she became part of the fabric of the estate. Children played around her, and whole families posed for photos in front of her. Residents soon began to nickname her with such names as Gladys and Big Bertha, but the one that really stuck was Old Flo.
In 1997, the Stifford Estate was sadly demolished and all residents, including Old Flo, were moved on.
Life after the Stifford Estate:
Following the demolition, Old Flo headed north to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park for safekeeping.
In 2012, Old Flo’s destiny was once again up for discussion as Tower Hamlets debated whether to sell her to raise funds for the local community. This caused fierce debate from both sides, but ultimately, in 2015 upon the election of new mayor, it was decided that Draped Seated Woman held too much significance, and rather than selling, Old Flo would return home to her east London roots.
Old Flo in Canary Wharf:
So, after 20 years, Old Flo was to return to the borough, but the question over where arose. At the time, Tower Hamlets had no location of its own that was suitable, so opened the opportunity up to local businesses and museums. After a submission process and careful consideration, Canary Wharf Group was selected as custodians.
In 2024, Tower Hamlets underwent a renewed tender process, opening the opportunity out once again. Canary Wharf Group, eager to retain Old Flo, submitted a bid and secured the loan of the sculpture for a further 5 years.
Today, Old Flo can be found at the heart of the Wharf on Cabot Square, as part of the Canary Wharf public art collection.
Want to know more about Old Flo?
Click here to download the Old Flo Artbook
Or test out your existing knowledge with our quiz:
Click here to download the Old Flo Quiz
We would love to see how you get on with your quiz, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram @CanaryWharfLondon and use the hashtag #oldflo
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