| Gladstone Memorial, London | |
|---|---|
 The memorial in front ofSt Clement Danes | |
 | |
| Artist | Hamo Thornycroft |
| Completion date | 1905 |
| Type | Statue |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Subject | William Ewart Gladstone |
| Dimensions | 3.4 m (11 ft) |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51°30′47″N0°06′52″W / 51.513°N 0.1145°W /51.513; -0.1145 |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Statue of W E Gladstone on island in road, Strand, WC2 |
| Designated | 24 February 1958 |
| Reference no. | 1237098 |
TheGladstone Memorial on theStrand, London is abronzesculpture of the British statesman, created byHamo Thornycroft between 1899-1905. The statue was erected as the national memorial toGladstone and shows him in the robes of theChancellor of the Exchequer. The figure stands on a plinth surrounded byallegorical figures depicting four of theVirtues,Courage,Brotherhood,Education andAspiration. The memorial is aGrade II listed structure.
William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898) served four terms asPrime Minister of the United Kingdom between 1868 and 1894.[1] One of outstanding political figures ofVictorian England, he sought to reform the electoral franchise through theRepresentation of the People Act 1884 and the introduction ofsecret ballots;[2] pursuedfree trade[3] and attempted to "pacify Ireland" throughHome Rule.[4] Although personally opposed toimperial expansion, his terms of office saw major foreign engagements including the death ofGeneral Gordon atKhartoum,[5] theMahdist War and the outbreak of theFirst Boer War.[6]
Following Gladstone’s death in 1898, a committee was established to raise funds for a national memorial.[7] The commission was given toHamo Thornycroft.[8] Born into a family of sculptors, by the 1880s Thornycroft had established his own reputation as a distinguished artist.[9] He had already received commissions for commemorative sculptures aroundWestminster, including statues ofOliver Cromwell, outside theHouse of Commons,[10] andGeneral Gordon inTrafalgar Square.[a][12] The commission took Thornycroft six years and the statue was not finally unveiled until 1906.[13] The unveiling ceremony was conducted byJohn Morley, a member of Gladstone'sCabinets and his biographer.[14] The cost was £8,000.[14]
The criticEdmund Gosse wrote to congratulate Thornycroft after the memorial's completion; "It is so dignified, so solid and the head so magnificent; you have got that look of frenzy in the eye that all his best portraits have".[b][14] Simon Bradley, in the 2003 revised versionLondon 6: Westminster of thePevsner Buildings of England series, describes the statue as a "fine, robed figure".[13] The sculpture is aGrade II listed structure.[15]
The statue is executed inbronze[16] and is 3.35 metres (11.0 ft) high.[13] It stands on aplinth ofPortland stone by John Lee.[13] Gladstone is depicted in the robes of theChancellor of the Exchequer.[c] An inscription on the front of the plinth reads "GLADSTONE 1809-1898".[7] Allegorical statues of women, mostly with children,[18] surround the base, representing four of theVirtues,Courage,Brotherhood,Education andAspiration.[13]
The memorial stands at the east end of theStrand, in front of the Church ofSt Clement Danes. It was originally encircled by the roadway, but is now in a pedestrianised plaza. The plaza also has late-20th century sculptures ofAir Chief MarshalHugh Dowding, andMarshall of the Royal Air ForceArthur Harris,[13] St Clement's being theRoyal Air Force church.[19]
