Inspired by Flaxman Talk: John Flaxman’s Funerary Monuments by Michael Adam Smith 
Wednesday 7 October 2026
12 noon – 12.30pm
Included in general admission

The bulk of Flaxman’s sculptural output comprises over 200 extant funerary monuments. Installed in churches across Britain and overseas, they range from small memorial tablets commissioned by bereaved families to publicly funded monuments commemorating British military heroes. This talk will provide an overview of Flaxman’s work in this field, discussing his modelling process, his relationship with clients and his continual reinterpretation of favourite motifs. 

Michael Adam Smith is an academic from York University currently studying for a PhD entitled, John Flaxman: art, design and the intermedial body. His academic research has contributed to the curation of Turner, Wedgwood & Beyond: Inspired by Flaxman and has played a pivotal role in the themes explored throughout.