The Lancaster Monument, East Sheen Cemetery

The Lancaster Monument is a chest tomb located in East Sheen Cemetery, dedicated to George William Lancaster (died 1920) and Elisa Mary Lancaster (died 1922). Designed by Sidney March (1876-1967), the monument is made of Portland stone and bronze. It features a loosely draped female angel in bronze, who is depicted mourning over a rectangular sarcophagus made of Portland stone. The sarcophagus stands on a coved base and a rectangular plinth, both also crafted from Portland stone. This work shows influence from North Italian tomb sculpture, particularly the style of Leonardo Bistolfi, and is regarded as one of the most significant examples of 20th-century funerary sculpture. The fluid positioning of the angel's body and the weight-defying droop of her wings over the stone sarcophagus make it particularly memorable. Hugh Meller described it as "arguably the most dramatic sculpture in any of London's cemeteries." Sidney March was an active exhibitor at the Royal Academy from 1901 to 1932, and he is best known for the Canadian National War Memorial in Ottawa, unveiled in 1939, which he created in collaboration with his brothers.