Statues - Hither & Thither

Site Search:

Oxford
Oxfordshire
South East England

Oriel College ☒
(Front Quad)

Blessed Virgin Mary and Two Kings

first half 17th century

Description

Above the Hall entrance are three statues in niches with canopies:

Oxford - Blessed Virgin Mary and Two Kings
1. Blessed Virgin Mary with Child
2. Edward II
3. Charles I

At the top: Blessed Virgin Mary with Child, this statue was removed in 1650-1 and replaced in 1673-4.
Below are two statues of kings, one of them not identified with certainty.
Edward II (1284-1327), son of Edward I and Eleanor of Castile; king 1307-1327 (Wikipedia). He gave the founder of the college, Adam de Brome, a license to found the college.
Charles I (1600 - 1649), King of England, 1625-1649 (Wikipedia), the hall was constructed during his reign. The balustrade of the porch below the statues show the words REGNANTE CAROLO (in the reign of Charles).
or James I,
or Edward III (The Oxford University and City Guide, on a new plan, 1834), who confirmed his father's favour.

Colleges in Oxford

Most of the university colleges in Oxford occupy large areas with several buildings and courts ('quads' in Oxford). There are numerous statues, mostly in the façades of the various buildings. The statues with ☒ are not visible from the public road. Most of the colleges are accessible for visitors during certain times of the day, some for free, others for a small (or not so small) fee.

Sources & Information

H E Salter and Mary D Lobel (ed.), A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 3, the University of Oxford (1954). At: British History Online.
Wikipedia, Oriel College, Oxford.

Locatie (N 51°45'4" - W 1°15'12") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: gbse157; Photograph: 18 October 2015
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt