Statues erected to celebrate sisters overshadowed by more famous brothers

Statues of the sisters of high-profile figures who have been overshadowed by their more famous brothers have been erected around the country.

A sculpture of Frances Dickens has been placed opposite the statue of author Charles Dickens in Portsmouth, while a representation of Maria Anna Mozart now stands opposite that of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Bath.

Frances was a talented pianist and singer who studied at the Royal Academy of Music under Ignaz Moscheles, a former pupil of Ludwig van Beethoven, while Maria Anna was a gifted harpsichord and fortepiano player who toured Vienna and Paris.

Maria Anna would often receive top billing when playing alongside her brother as a child but as she grew older, cultural pressures made it impossible for her to continue her career in music.

The temporary statues are inspired by the release of the Netflix film Enola Holmes, starring Millie Bobby Brown as the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes.

A statue of Enola has been placed opposite that of the fictional detective in London’s Baker Street, to accompany those of the real-life sisters of the 18th and 19th centuries, whose achievements were overshadowed by their more famous brothers.

A statue of Mary Hardy, the sister of Thomas Hardy and the headmistress of a local school, has been placed in Dorchester opposite that of her brother, the author of books including Tess Of The d’Urbervilles, Far From The Madding Crowd and Jude The Obscure.

Meanwhile, a statue of Princess Helena Victoria, sister of King Edward VII and founding member of the British Red Cross and president of the Royal British Nurses Association, who campaigned for better working conditions, rights and pay, has been placed in Birmingham.

Enola Holmes is on Netflix from September 23.