La Délivrance, a creation of Émile Oscar Guillaume to commemorate the First Battle of the Marne, has stood in Finchley since its unveiling on 20 October 1927. The statue depicts a nude female figure standing on tip-toe with both feet on a bronze hemisphere. She lifts her face to the sky and holds both arms aloft, with a sword in her right hand.
The statue was placed in its current location at Henly's Corner by Lord Rothermere, who bought the work and presented it to the Urban District of Finchley. Over the years, the sculpture has garnered various local nicknames such as 'Dirty Gertie', 'The Wicked Woman', and 'The Naked Lady'.
Currently a Grade II* listed building, the statue was first listed as Grade II in 1983 and received its higher status in 2016.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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