They are part of the Totally Thames arts festival and can be seen on the foreshore at Nine Elms on the South Bank. ‘The Rising Tide’ was designed by internationally-renowned underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, and will be in place between now and Wednesday, September 30.

Its message is to question the world’s future relationship with fossil fuels. The corpulent businessmen astride two horses are designed to represent the position of power over these resources, while the two small children depict future generations who will live with the consequences of overconsumption. 

The artwork is also a celebration of how the river has acted as an artery for industry and trade and a point of disembarkation for the pleasure gardens that have lined its banks.