The Gladstone Memorial on the Strand

The Gladstone Memorial on the Strand, London is a bronze sculpture of the British statesman, created by Hamo Thornycroft between 1899 and 1905. The statue was erected as the national memorial to Gladstone and shows him in the robes of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The figure stands on a plinth of Portland stone surrounded by allegorical figures depicting four of the Virtues: Courage, Brotherhood, Education and Aspiration.

Crafted by Thornycroft, a distinguished artist who had already received commissions for statues of Oliver Cromwell and General Gordon, the commission took six years to complete. The memorial was finally unveiled in 1906 by John Morley, a member of Gladstone's Cabinets and his biographer. The cost of the memorial was £8,000.

The memorial stands at the east end of the Strand, in front of the Church of St Clement Danes. It is now located in a pedestrianised plaza, which also features late-20th century sculptures of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding and Marshall of the Royal Air Force Arthur Harris. The memorial is a Grade II listed structure.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons