Monument to Margaret Sandbach (1812-1852)
John Gibson, RA 1790-l866
c.1852
Marble relief
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
As a close friend of the Sandbachs, the sculptor was devastated by Margaret's early death from breast cancer. The museum plaque describes his memorial to her as "one of Gibson's simplest and most affecting works," and draws our attention to the figure's plain background and graceful drapery.
Margaret was a writer (see Blain), and is shown holding a book in one hand. Perhaps this was intended to be her own Aurora and Other Poems (1850), which she dedicated to Gibson. Her hands, like her costume, are depicted with subtlety and sensitivity.
Photograph and text by Jacqueline Banerjee 2009
