This figure of the archangel Gabriel was originally placed over Middle Gate at the entrance to Chamber Court. It stood alongside statues of the Virgin Mary (AS128) and the College’s founder, William of Wykeham (AS129). While the other figures remain in position, the angel was taken down in the 1950s and replaced with a modern copy in 1997 (AS128b).

Centuries of exposure to the elements have eroded the stone and destroyed some parts of the sculpture. The angel originally held a scroll, a small section of which remains attached to the left leg. On it was inscribed Ave, gratia plena (Hail, full of grace). These words are taken from the account of the Annunciation in St Luke’s Gospel.

The figure would originally have been painted and traces of pigment are still visible in the hair and the folds of the angel’s clothing.

Exhibited: Winchester City Museum, 1970-2022; ‘Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet England, 1200-1400’, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 6 November 1987 – 6 March 1988, no. 602.

Literature: Winchester College Archaeological Society Winchester College: Its history, buildings and customs (Winchester, 1926), p. 163; Medieval Sculptures at Winchester College (Winchester, 1932), pp. 7-8; J. Sabben-Clare, Winchester College: an illustrated guide (Winchester, 1978), p. 9; J. Alexander and P. Binski (eds), Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet England, 1200-1400 (London, 1987, p. 470; M. Bullen, J. Crook, R. Hubbuck and N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England. Hampshire: Winchester and the North (Yale, 2010), p. 647.

Provenance: Commissioned by Winchester College

Location: Treasury, Gallery 1