Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
(1769-1852), Field Marshal and Prime MinisterRegency Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter associated with 640 portraits
The most famous soldier and statesman of his day, Wellington's early victories were in India and the Spanish Peninsula. In 1815, he was hailed as the man who achieved peace in Europe when he led the campaign to defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. He later became leader of the Tory party and, as Prime Minister, from 1828-1830, he carried an important, if controversial, act that allowed Catholic emancipation in Britain. However, he was vigorously opposed to the recasting of electoral boroughs that led to the reform of the House of Commons and the slow spread of democracy. This resistance ended in the fall of the Tories and made way for Earl Grey's Whig government that eventually passed the Reform Bill in 1832.
More on Wellington: Curator Paul Cox on Wellington |https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2015/wellington-triumphs-politics-and-passions#audio | Timeline | Did you know?
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by Henry Richard Cook, published by Thomas Palser, after John Hoppner
stipple engraving, published 1 August 1812
NPG D42337
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by Henry Richard Cook, published by Patrick Martin, after William Haines
stipple engraving, published 31 October 1812
NPG D42964
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by A. Easto, published by Josiah Boydell, after Lawrence Gahagan
stipple engraving, published 17 August 1813 (April 1809)
NPG D37588
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by William Greatbach, after William Salter
line engraving, after 1813
NPG D37602
by George Cruikshank, published by Thomas Tegg
hand-coloured etching, published 7 July 1813
NPG D48667
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by James Heath, after Edward Francisco Burney
line engraving, published 12 August 1814
NPG D34181
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by James Godby, published by Edward Orme, after Domenico Pellegrini
stipple engraving, published 21 November 1814 (1809)
NPG D36022
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by and published by William Skelton, after Sir William Beechey
line engraving, published 1 December 1814
NPG D37583
probably by Charles Williams, published by William Naunton Jones
hand-coloured etching, published 1 March 1814
NPG D46372
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by and published by William Say, after Thomas Phillips
mezzotint, published 8 November 1814 (1814)
NPG D7598
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by and published by William Say, after Thomas Phillips
mezzotint, published 8 November 1814 (1814)
NPG D11325
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by E. Bocquet, after John Taylor, after Joseph Nollekens
stipple engraving, published 1815
NPG D37610
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by Unknown artist, published by Richard Evans
hand coloured etching, published 29 July 1815
NPG D4731
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
after Unknown artist
line engraving, published 1815
NPG D4732
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
after Unknown artist
line engraving, published 1815
NPG D4733
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by R. Page
stipple engraving, published 1816
NPG D4728
The unexpected meeting of Lord Wellington and Blucher at La Belle Alliance
by Unknown artist
line engraving, published 1816
NPG D13773
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by Charles Turner, after Juan Bauzil (or Bauziel)
hand-coloured mezzotint, published 1817
NPG D37592
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by Henry Meyer, published by T. Cadell & W. Davies, after John Jackson, after Sir William Beechey
stipple engraving, published 27 August 1817
NPG D37605
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by Henry Meyer, published by T. Cadell & W. Davies, after John Jackson, after Sir William Beechey
stipple engraving, published 27 August 1817
NPG D15814
by Unknown artist
hand-coloured etching, circa 1818-1822
NPG D48668
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington ('The Master General of the Ordinance')
by and published by Richard Dighton
hand-coloured etching, published August 1818
NPG D13354
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington ('The Master General of the Ordinance')
by and published by Richard Dighton, reissued by Thomas McLean
etching, published August 1818
NPG D13507
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by William Bromley, after Sir Thomas Lawrence
line engraving, published 1818 (1814)
NPG D13778
Poor Bull & his Burden or the Political Murraion [Murrain]
by George Cruikshank, published by Thomas Tegg
hand-coloured etching, published 15 December 1819
NPG D46029
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington ('The Master General of the Ordinance')
by and published by Richard Dighton, reissued by Thomas McLean
hand-coloured etching, published August 1819
NPG D4720
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington ('The Master General of the Ordinance')
by and published by Richard Dighton, reissued by Thomas McLean
hand-coloured etching, published August 1818
NPG D4721
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington ('The Master General of the Ordinance')
by and published by Richard Dighton, reissued by Thomas McLean
etching, published August 1819
NPG D4722
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
after Sir Thomas Lawrence
mezzotint, (1820)
NPG D37606
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by and published by Thomas Stothard, printed by McQueen & Co
etching, published 1 September 1820
NPG D37611
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by and published by Thomas Stothard, printed by McQueen & Co
etching, published 1 September 1820
NPG D37612
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by and published by Thomas Stothard, printed by McQueen & Co
etching, published 1 September 1820
NPG D37613
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by and published by Thomas Stothard, printed by McQueen & Co
etching, published 1 September 1820
NPG D37614
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by and published by Thomas Stothard, printed by McQueen & Co
etching, published 1 September 1820
NPG D37615
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington and King George III ('Shield of Wellington: centre piece')
by and published by Thomas Stothard
etching, published 1820
NPG D37616
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
by Unknown artist
pressed paper medallion, circa 1820s-1830s
NPG D40301
Characters in the New Piece Now Performing at the Theatre Royal Cotten Garden 1820
published by John Marshall Jr
hand-coloured etching, published 6 November 1820
NPG D46025a
The Milan Garland or Revels round the Vice Post
by Charles Williams, published by John Johnston
hand-coloured etching, published July 1820
NPG D46028
The Broken Crown or, The Disasters of a Green-Bag Chief!!!
by (Isaac) Robert Cruikshank, published by Orlando Hodgson
hand-coloured etching and letterpress, circa November-December 1820
NPG D46037
All a Bottle of Smoke!! or John Bull and the Secret Committee
published by John Fairburn
hand-coloured etching, published July 1820
NPG D46058
Related People
- Mary Sarah (née Wellesley), Countess Cadogan (niece)
- Henry Richard Charles Wellesley, 1st Earl Cowley (nephew)
- Hyacinthe Mary Littleton (née Wellesley), Lady Hatherton (niece)
- Anne Wellesley (née Hill), Countess of Mornington (mother)
- William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington (brother)
- William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley, 4th Earl of Mornington (nephew)
- Richard Colley Wesley (Wellesley), 1st Baron Mornington (grandfather)
- Lady Mary Angela Scott (née Wellesley) (granddaughter)
- Richard Colley Wellesley, Marquess Wellesley (brother)
- Hon. Gerald Valerian Wellesley (nephew)
- Henry Wellesley (nephew)
- Richard Wellesley (nephew)
- Arthur Richard Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington (son)
- Henry Wellesley, 3rd Duke of Wellington (grandson)
- Arthur Charles Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington (grandson)
- Priscilla Anne Fane (née Wellesley-Pole), Countess of Westmorland (niece)
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.