William Torel

English metalworker

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July 14, 2026

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William Torel was an English goldsmith and metalworker active in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He is recognized for his pioneering work in creating large bronze effigies for tombs. Torel's most notable achievements are the effigies of Queen Eleanor and King Henry III, both located in Westminster Abbey. These works, dating from around 1290 to 1291, represent some of the earliest English attempts at producing monumental figures in metal, utilizing the lost-wax casting process he had previously employed for smaller shrines and religious items.1

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metalwork
England
They are the work of William Torel, goldsmith of London; and it is evident that they are the first English attempt to produce large figures in metal. Torel cast his large figures by the same process (lost-wax) he had employed for small shrines and images.
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They are the work of William Torel, goldsmith of London; and it is evident that they are the first English attempt to produce large figures in metal. Torel cast his large figures by the same process (lost-wax) he had employed for small shrines and images.
Read More