Landmark statue of Thomas Gainsborough in Sudbury revitalised with refurbishment and clean

A landmark statue in Sudbury has been cleaned and refurbished to the delight of the community.

The statue of one of Britain’s most famous artists, Thomas Gainsborough, was originally unveiled in his birthplace of Sudbury in 1913.

With the 300th anniversary of Gainsborough’s birth approaching in 2027, Sudbury Town Council was keen to honour the occasion and commissioned local business Luxstone to undertake the cleaning and refurbishment of the statue and plinth on Market Hill.

Rachel Price, business manager for the town council, said: “The statue is Sudbury’s most iconic feature and its continued upkeep is paramount.

“We are thrilled with the result of the clean, returning the stone plinth to its original white, offsetting the statue of Sudbury’s most famous son beautifully.

“We are fortunate in Sudbury to have such high-quality and professional craftspeople on our doorstep, and we have received a number of compliments on the refurbishment undertaken.”

Ms Price added that in 2013, on the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of the statue, a re-unveiling to a 300-strong crowd was hosted and with Gainsborough’s 300th birthday fast approaching, the council was keen to mark the occasion as a community.

The monument to Gainsborough was sculpted by Bertram Mackennal and was originally unveiled by Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise, on June 10, 1913.

Laura Luxstone, of Luxstone, said: “Since its original unveiling, the statue has been a huge part of the town centre’s landscape and history, so it was an honour to be able to complete this commission on behalf of Sudbury Town Council.

“The community was fantastic and said how lovely it was to see it looking clean and refreshed.

“The response on our social media page was great, with lots of comments saying they could not wait to see it.

“We cover all over Suffolk, Essex and London, but it was brilliant to be in the heart of our home town, completing this project.”