Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) Field Marshal & Prime Minister

Location

Country: New Zealand
City: Wellington
Place: British High Commission

This print shows the Duke of Wellington in court dress and wearing the Golden Fleece and the Ribbon and Star of the Knight’s Garter. It is engraved from a portrait by Henry Weigall junior. There are at least two known oil portraits of Wellington by Weigall, although both differ from this image; the Government Art Collection holds a head and shoulders version and a full-length portrait, in which Wellington looks considerably older and does not hold a hat, is in a private collection.

Henry Weigall junior was a painter of portraits and genre scenes. In later years he painted several royal portraits. His father Henry Weigall (died 1883) was a well known portrait sculptor who exhibited busts of Wellington at the Royal Academy in 1849 and 1853. His son exhibited painted portraits of the Duke in 1853 (painted from sittings given in 1851) and in 1854. Intriguingly Weigall junior also exhibited a work towards the end of his career in 1887 under the title ‘One of the Wellington ‘Eleven’’.
Samuel William Reynolds was a painter and engraver. Despite publishing his first prints in the mid-1790s, he found himself in debt by 1800 and came to rely upon the financial help of Samuel Whitbread MP. It was under Whitbread’s patronage that Reynolds was able to broaden his interests to include painting, architecture and landscape design. He exhibited paintings at the Royal Academy and British Institution and was also a collector; owning a group of drawings by Thomas Girtin. In 1809 he visited France for the first time and he went on to exhibit engravings at the Paris Salon in 1810 and 1812. Reynolds also worked in Paris on occasion, where he found a market for his paintings of landscapes and cottage scenes.

People

Arthur, 1st Duke of Wellington Wellesley (1769 - 1852)

Places

Subjects

male portrait, 19th century costume, glove, hat, medal, Duke, Prime Minister, field marshal, curtain

Materials & Techniques

engraving, stipple engraving

Artist

Henry (jnr) Weigall (1829 - 1925)
Samuel William Reynolds (1773 - 1835)

Title

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) Field Marshal & Prime Minister

Date

published 18 June 1852

Medium

Engraving and stipple engraving

Acquisition

Presented by Captain Frank Spicer, May 1952

GAC number

1748