Statue of John Wesley, St Paul's Churchyard

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Statue of John Wesley
John Wesley at St Paul's.jpg
The statue in 2013
Statue of John Wesley, St Paul's Churchyard
ArtistSamuel Manning
Year1988 (1988)
MediumBronze
SubjectJohn Wesley
Dimensions1.6 m(5.1 ft)
LocationSt Paul's Churchyard, London
Coordinates 51°30′51″N0°05′55″W / 51.51430°N 0.09854°W / 51.51430; -0.09854

The statue of John Wesley, St Paul's Churchyard is an outdoor bronze sculpture depicting the theologian, cleric and co-founder of the religious movement known as Methodism, John Wesley. The statue is located northwest corner of St Paul's Churchyard, London, England, and was erected in 1988. [1] [2] It was cast from a sculpture created by Samuel Manning and his son between 1825 and 1849. [3]

Contents

From 24 to 26 May 1738, Wesley worshipped in the nearby chancel of St Paul's Cathedral. [4] The statue is 5 foot 1 inches high, Wesley's height in life, [2] and shows him wearing a cassock and holding a Bible in his left hand. [3] An inscription on the front of the plinth reads: [5]

By Grace ye are saved through Faith John Wesley, Father of Methodism, 1703–1791, priest, poet, teacher of the Faith.

On the rear of the plinth is a plaque reading "Property of Aldersgate Trustees of the Methodist Church – 17 September 1988". [5]

Samuel Manning's original sculpture was in plaster and was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1825. [3] After Manning the Elder's death, his son recreated the sculpture in marble, and it is now situated in the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster. [3]

See also

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References

  1. "St Paul's Cathedral & Churchyard". Methodist Heritage. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  2. 1 2 Margaret Baker (2002). Discovering London Statues and Monuments. Osprey Publishing. p. 146. ISBN   978-0-7478-0495-6.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 3 4 "John Wesley (Statue), St. Paul's Churchyard". Public Monuments and Sculpture Association. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  4. J. Keith Cheetham (2003). On the Trail of John Wesley. Dundurn. p. 83. ISBN   978-1-84282-023-0.
  5. 1 2 "Statue: John Wesley statue". London Remembers. Retrieved 23 September 2014.