Statues - Hither & Thither

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Oxford
Oxfordshire
South East England

Magdalen College ☒
(St Swithun's Tower, east side)

Sts. Mary Magdalen, Peter and Paul

artist unknown
1883-84

Description

On the east side of St. Swithun's tower are three niches with statues.

Oxford - Sts. Mary Magdalen, Peter and Paul
1. St. Mary Magdalene
2. St. Peter
3. St. Paul

One at the top:

St. Mary Magdalene -- Mary of Magdala is described, in the New Testament, as one of the most important women associated with Jesus during his ministry (Wikipedia).. She is depicted with the ointment jar with which she cleansed Christ's wounds.

And two flanking the oriel of the first floor:

St. Peter (possibly died AD 67), apostle, first pope; patron saint of locksmiths and confessors. Usually holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven in his hand (Wikipedia)
St. Paul - the Apostle, (c. 5 - c. 67 ), persecuted the early followers of Jesus before switching sides and seeking to join them. He was instrumental in creating the Christian Church. He is the protector of tent-makers, theologians and the ecclesiastical press and is depicted with a sword. (Wikipedia).

The buildings around St. Swithun's Quad were built c. 1880-1884 after designs of the architects George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner.

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.

Sculptor

Unknown artist. Do you know who the sculptor is? please let us know.

Locatie (N 51°45'8" - W 1°14'50") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: gbse179; Photograph: 20 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