Nasher Sculpture Center

This sculpture is one of a number of Surrealist-inspired works Smith made around World War II that attack the themes of war, violence, and domination. In Perfidious Albion, his target is imperialism, Albion being a derogatory, nineteenth-century reference to imperialist England. Smith portrays England as a femme fatale, a deceitful, treacherous woman. The figure's curving shoulders and hips resemble the forms of ancient fertility idols, suggesting the bounty and security that they promise. They are instead adorned with jagged teeth, as is the base, or throne, on which she sits. At her womb she cradles a cannon turned upright, its nozzle threatening the viewer. The three-pronged element on top suggests both an imperial crown and the serpent-headed Medusa of Greek mythology.