William Ewart Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone (1809 – 1898) was born in Liverpool. He was a British statesman, political reformer, three times Chancellor of the Exchequer and four times British Prime Minister. Gladstone visited Theed's studio over various official commissions in 1860 and 1865. He was also there on 29 March 1877 which was presumably when his 1879 statue by Theed (now in Manchester Town Hall) and this bust (exhibited at the 1878 Royal Academy) were planned. The sittings for both the bust and statue presumably took place on 25 June 1877 and in April 1878. The bust and the upper part of the statue are nearly but not quite identical, particularly in the hair and dress.