Winchester Great Hall - Queen Victoria's Statue
In 1897 a statue of Queen Victoria was installed in the hall.
Sir Alfred Gilbert, R. A. (1854-1934), sculptor
Unveiled (allthough not fully completed) 1878
Bronze and gilded beaten metal
The statue is 14 ft. high x 30 ft at widest point; weight, c.2 tonnes
Commissioned by the High Sheriff of Hampshire to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee, the statue was originally intended to be displayed in the Great Hall, and Gilbert had planned to execute it in marble. He changed the medium to bronze after learning that it would instead be located out-of-doors, on Castle Hill. After a spell there, however, it was in fact moved to the Hall in 1912. It was then unveiled for a second time.
The statue has been very highly praised, despite some unpleasantness shown towards it: its full-scale plaster model was mocked by Harry Furniss in a Punch cartoon when it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1888; it took a long time to put all the finishing touches and it was vandalised during its outdoor years on Castle Hill).
Winchester Great Hall - Queen Victoria's Statue
In 1897 a statue of Queen Victoria was installed in the hall.
Sir Alfred Gilbert, R. A. (1854-1934), sculptor
Unveiled (allthough not fully completed) 1878
Bronze and gilded beaten metal
The statue is 14 ft. high x 30 ft at widest point; weight, c.2 tonnes
Commissioned by the High Sheriff of Hampshire to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee, the statue was originally intended to be displayed in the Great Hall, and Gilbert had planned to execute it in marble. He changed the medium to bronze after learning that it would instead be located out-of-doors, on Castle Hill. After a spell there, however, it was in fact moved to the Hall in 1912. It was then unveiled for a second time.
The statue has been very highly praised, despite some unpleasantness shown towards it: its full-scale plaster model was mocked by Harry Furniss in a Punch cartoon when it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1888; it took a long time to put all the finishing touches and it was vandalised during its outdoor years on Castle Hill).