The Adoration of the Magi
detail from Tomb of William Ewart Gladstone and Catherine Gladstone

Photo © Martin Crampin, Imaging the Bible in Wales larger image

1906 Stone-carved monument of William and Catherine Gladstone with crucifix and angel at their heads. Scenes around the base of the tomb include the Adoration of the Magi and the Deposition, together with figures including St George, St Andrew, St David and St Patrick, Dant-, Homer, Aristotle and King David. medium: stone;metal technique: carved size: 64 cm (height of figure). 41 cm (height of corner figures). 40 cm x 83.5 cm (adoring Magi) designer: William Richmond Church of St Deiniol, Hawarden, Flintshire centre of Gladstone Chapel on north side of church Dedication: 'To the glory of God and in reverent and loving memory of William Ewart Gladstone and of Catherine his wife. This shrine has been built and this monument placed within the church where they worshipped in their home that they loved by their son Henry Neville Gladstone. July 28 1906'. It is not obvious which of the figures around the tomb chest are which. Andrew holds his saltire cross on the north side, and the figure dressed as a bishop next to Andrew is perhaps David. The figure holding the boat alongside George on the south side is perhaps Patrick, who is known for his sea voyages and his departure from Britain to Ireland. A figure playing a harp on the south-west corner could be the biblical David, or he may be the crowned figure on the north-west corner.  (ObjectID=126 ImageID=838) Original File Name=_MG_1246.jpg

This artwork is indexed under the following main subject(s):
for other works containing these subjects please click on the links.

• adoration of the kings: the Wise Men present their gifts to the Christ-child (gold, frankincense and myrrh)  [Matthew 2:11]
• Crucified Christ suffering (with crown of thorns)  [Matthew 27:33-58; Mark 15:22-45; Luke 23:33-52; John 19:17-38]
• the mourning over the dead Christ 

Edward Hubbard, The Buildings of Wales: Clwyd (Harmondsworth/Cardiff: Penguin/University of Wales Press, 1986), p. 366.

T. W. Pritchard, A History of the Old Parish of Hawarden (Wrexham: Bridge Books, 2002), pp. 109–10.

Photo © Martin Crampin, Imaging the Bible in Wales