Statuary of the West Front of Salisbury Cathedral

This article presents the statues to be found on the Great West Front of Salisbury Cathedral, in Salisbury, England. It names all the statues and their dates of installation, sculptors where known, and the attributes and identifying features of the statues. There are photographs of the statues with an enumerated photograph to show their position on the façade.

Statues

There are 79 figures on the Great West Front.

• 7 are from the 14th century, of which two were modified in the mid-18th century.^[1]
• 63 were installed between 1867 and around 1871 from the workshops of James Redfern.^[2]
• 5 were installed in the 20th century.
• 4 were installed in the 21st century.

Display scheme

The overall scheme is divided into six tiers.^[3] The niche numbering system works from left to right (north to south) as viewed from the west, and from top to bottom. The four lower tiers begin on the north face of the north turret and continue around onto the south face of the south turret; only the lower two tiers have statues on the north face.

Tier 1: The Vesica

Niche No.	Statue	Date Installed	Sculptor	Attributes or identifying features	Photo
8	Christ in Majesty	?1867	James Redfern	Holding an orb in the left hand. Right hand missing some fingers.
23	Eagle of St John	c. 14th century	Anon	Showing a nimbus and holding a phylactery.

Tier 2: The Angels

8	Standing archangel	?1867	James Redfern	Holding an orb and staff.
14	Seated angel	?1867	James Redfern	Head missing, playing a harp.
19	Seated angel	1999	Jason Battle [4]	Right hand raised to chest
26	Seated angel	2000	Jay Battle [4]	Holding a crown.
31	Seated angel	?1867	James Redfern	Face damaged, holding an open scroll.
37	Standing archangel	?1867	James Redfern	Missing right hand, orb in left hand.

Tier 3: Old Testament Patriarchs and Prophets

49	King David	1869	James Redfern	Right hand supporting a harp.
50	Moses	1869	James Redfern	'Horns' of light on head, holding the Tablets of the Law.
51	Isaiah	1869-70	James Redfern	Scroll in right hand, left hand across chest.
52	Jeremiah	1869-70	James Redfern	Scroll in left hand, right hand raised to chest.
53	Ezekiel	1869-70	James Redfern	Looking to left, open scroll in right hand.
56	Abraham	1867-69	James Redfern	Knife in right hand, left hand missing.
59	Noah	1867-69	James Redfern	Holding a model Ark in left hand, right hand missing.
61	Job	After 1870	Anon	Open scroll in left hand showing his name.
62	Daniel	Early 20th century	Anon	Open book in left hand, lion at right side.
65	Samuel	1869	James Redfern	Left hand holding beard, right hand raised.
66	King Solomon	1869	James Redfern	Head missing, sceptre in right hand, bag hanging from belt.

Tier 4: Apostles

79	St Jude	1867-69	James Redfern	Hands together at chest, halberd leaning against body.
80	St Simon	1867-69	James Redfern	Holding a long saw.
81	St Andrew	1867-69	James Redfern	Holding a small saltire cross
82	St Thomas	1867-69	James Redfern	Both hands across chest holding a builder's square.
86	St Peter	?early 14th century	Anon	Both lower arms missing, a disc (the handle of one of his keys) below the right arm, Weathered appearance.
89	St Mark the Evangelist	1870 or later	?James Redfern	Open book in left hand, pen in right hand, lion at feet.
90	St Matthew the Evangelist	1870 or later	?James Redfern	Open book in left hand, pen in right hand, angel at feet.
91	St Luke the Evangelist	1869-70	?James Redfern	Clasped book in left hand, pen in right hand, ox head and forelegs by left leg.
92	St John the Evangelist	1869-70	James Redfern	Clasped book in right hand, a cup with an eagle in the left hand, an eagle at his feet.
95	St Paul	Early 14th century	Anon	Holding an upright sword in right hand, left arm missing, clothing detail obscured by protective coating.
99	St James the Less	1867-69	James Redfern	Fuller's club held in left hand.
100	St James the Great	1867-69	James Redfern	Pilgrim's staff in right hand, forehead and hat damaged.
101	St Bartholomew	1867-69	James Redfern	Holding a knife in right hand.
102	St Matthias	1867-69	James Redfern	Hands at chest holding a staff.

Tier 5: Doctors, Virgins and Martyrs

116	St Patrick	After 1870	James Redfern	On north face. Holding a crozier and dominating a snake at his feet.
119	St Ambrose	1867-69	James Redfern	Wearing a mitre, staff in left hand.
120	St Jerome	1867-69	James Redfern	Wearing a wide brimmed hat, a book in the left hand and a model church in the right hand.
121	St Gregory	1867-69	James Redfern	Wearing a papal tiara, a dove on the right shoulder and a sceptre in the left hand.
122	St Augustine of Hippo	1867-69	James Redfern	Wearing a mitre, a crozier supported on left wrist. Flaming heart in right hand
124	St Aldhelm	2001[clarification needed].[5]	Jay Battle[5]	Supporting a harp at his feet.
125	St Remigius of Rheims	c. 1873	?James Redfern	Wearing a mitre, right hand raised in benediction left hand holding a book, crozier in left elbow.
129	St John the Evangelist	14th century	Anon	Right hand raised, bird on shoulder, clothing detail obscured by protective coating.
132	St Barbara	1868	James Redfern	Holding martyr's palm in right hand, open book in left hand, small castle behind right leg.
133	St Katherine	?1868	James Redfern	Supporting a long sword with the left hand, wheel behind legs.
134	St Roch	?1868	James Redfern	Revealing the plague mark on left thigh, a small attentive dog sits in front.
135	St Nicholas	?1868	James Redfern	Wearing a mitre, left hand is missing, right hand holding three 'golden' balls, lower part of a staff remains.
136	St George	?1868	James Redfern	A shield on left elbow, sword supported by left hand, right hand holding head of dragon.
137	St Christopher	?1868	James Redfern	Carrying the Christ Child on the left shoulder, right hand supporting a large staff.
138	St Sebastian	?1868	James Redfern	Arms tied behind his back, pierced with three arrows.
139	St Cosmas	?1868	James Redfern	Left hand on hip holding clothes, right hand hold cuboid box.
140	St Damian	?1868	James Redfern	Right hand raised, left hand holding a pestle and mortar.
141	St Margaret of Antioch	?1868	James Redfern	Holding a crucifix in the left hand, looking down at the dragon at her feet
142	St Ursula	?1868	James Redfern	The remains of a martyr's palm in the right hand, an arrow in the left hand.
145	St John the Baptist	Early 14th century	Anon	Supporting an agnus dei roundel on right hand, wearing an animal skin. Badly weathered.
150	St Stephen	1869-70	James Redfern	Remains of a martyr's palm in left hand, some stones in right hand.
152	St Lucy	1867-69	James Redfern	A lamp in the right hand, a dagger in the left hand.
153	St Agatha	1867-69	James Redfern	Right hand holding a pair of tongs, left hand on her chest.
154	St Agnes	1867-69	James Redfern	Right hand supporting a lamb, left hand resting on lamb.
155	St Cecilia	1867-69	James Redfern	Looking upwards, supporting a portable organ, a plait of hair on the left shoulder.

Tier 6: Worthies belonging to the English Church, many with a local connection

166	Deacon Martyr, ?St Birinus	Early 14th century	Anon: Head by Redfern	On north face, both lower arms missing. Badly weathered.
167	St Etheldreda	After 1869	James Redfern	On north face. Holding model church on right arm, staff in left hand.
168	King Henry VI	?Early 20th century	Anon	On north face. Fleur-de-lis sceptre in right hand, orb in left hand.
169	Bishop Bridport	Mid-14th century	Anon	Hands missing, left arm supporting a staff.
170	Bishop Poore	1868-69	James Redfern	Right arm supporting a model of Salisbury Cathedral, left hand holding a short staff.
171	King Henry III	1868-69	James Redfern	Right hand holding a headless sceptre, left hand missing.
172	St Edmund of Canterbury	Early 20th century	Anon	Right hand raised in benediction, left hand holding a staff. Name on plinth.
173	Bishop Odo of Ramsbury	1867	James Redfern	Right hand raised,fingers missing. Left hand holding chalice with wafer showing.
174	Canon Ezra Baya Lawiri	2008[6]	Jason Battle,[7]	Pen in right hand, book in left hand.
177	Bishop Ken	c. 1930-31	Allan G. Wyon	Right hand raised in benediction. Left hand holding a tall crozier.
178	St. Osmund	?1878	James Redfern	Right hand holding two books. Left hand holding a staff.
180	Angel of the Annunciation, Archangel Gabriel	1870	James Redfern	Holding some ?lilies in left hand, right hand raised in benediction.
181	Standing Virgin Mary	1870	James Redfern	With a nimbus, missing right hand, remains of lilies on right shoulder. Left hand on chest.
182	Virgin of the Annunciation	1870	James Redfern	Sitting in profile, with a nimbus, holding a book.
183	Censing Angel	1870	James Redfern	Inside main porch. Right profile holding a censer and chains.
184	Virgin and Child	1870	James Redfern	Inside main porch.
185	Censing Angel	1870	James Redfern	Inside main porch. Left profile holding censer and chains.
187	Bishop Brithwold	?1868	James Redfern	Right hand missing. Remains of left hand holding remnants of a crozier
188	Rev. George Herbert	2000	Jason Battle	Hands across chest, looking down.
192	St Alban	1867-69	James Redfern	Right hand missing. Left hand missing. Left arm supporting a sceptre. Large damaged area from midriff to left foot.
194	St Alphege	1867-69	James Redfern	Clothing lifted to support stones. Stone on right shoulder and on right side of mitre.
195	St Edmund the Martyr	1867-69	James Redfern	Right hand holding clothes at chest. Dagger in left side of chest.
196	St Thomas of Canterbury	1867-69	James Redfern	Damaged right hand raised in benediction. Left hand holding a staff. (Damaged) dagger through skull from right.

References

This page was last edited on 21 October 2023, at 13:19