The Duke of Wellington visiting the Effigy and Personal Relics of Napoleon (Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington)
1 portrait of James Scott
© National Portrait Gallery, London
The Duke of Wellington visiting the Effigy and Personal Relics of Napoleon (Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington)
by James Scott, after Sir George Hayter
mezzotint, published 1854
22 in. x 29 in. (559 mm x 737 mm) paper size
Reference Collection
NPG D13760
Sitterback to top
- Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), Field Marshal and Prime Minister. Sitter associated with 640 portraits.
Artistsback to top
- Sir George Hayter (1792-1871), Portrait and history painter; son of Charles Hayter. Artist or producer associated with 198 portraits, Sitter associated with 16 portraits.
- James Scott (circa 1809-circa 1889), Engraver. Artist or producer associated with 136 portraits, Sitter in 1 portrait.
This portraitback to top
This powerful mezzotint shows a poignant encounter between the victor and the vanquished. Wellington caused Napoleon's final abdication after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo (1815). He was the only international commander that Napoleon had not beaten. Both were heroes in their own way. Though Napoleon was England's greatest enemy during the Regency period, he was also widely considered to be the 'great man' and 'genius' of the age. He dominated European political and military affairs for over twenty years and his death in 1821 was marked with sadness even by his greatest opponents.
Events of 1854back to top
Current affairs
The Working Men's College in London is founded by Frederick Maurice, who along with Charles Kingsley, a leading proponent of Christian Socialism, mocked by its opponents as 'muscular Christianity'. Christian Socialism attempted to combine the fundamental aims of socialism with the ethics of Christianity.William Howard Russell is sent to cover the Crimean war by his paper, The Times; his dispatches mark the start of modern war correspondence.
Art and science
The artist William Powell Frith paints his famous Ramsgate Sands, Life at the Seaside, an astute observation of modern leisure time.Dr John Snow, the founder of epidemiology, discovers that cholera is spread by water, rather than air, following the deaths of 500 people in ten days who had drank from a water pump in Broad Street. The Public Health Act is passed in response, setting up the General Board of Health.
International
Britain enters the Crimean war on 31 March, after an alliance is formed between Turkey, France, Sardinia and Britain against Russia. Florence Nightingale achieves great fame in introducing modern nursing techniques to the battlefield, earning her the title 'Lady with the Lamp'.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.