The Battle of Waterloo

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

Painter and etcher Alexander Sauerweid was born in Courlande, Russia. He studied at Dresden Academy and drew scenes of the battles fought in the surrounding area in the style of Vernet. In 1810, he made a series of 19 costume illustrations of the army of Westphalia; the most comprehensive contemporary uniform study of that army. In 1814, Emperor Alexander I of Russia summoned him to work in St Petersburg. Soon afterwards he visited England, where he was commissioned by Thomas Clay of Ludgate Hill, London (a seller of artist’s materials), to draw two scenes of the Battle of Waterloo. They were engraved by John William Cook and published in 1819. By 1838, Sauerweid was teaching at the St Petersburg Academy. He died in St Petersburg, aged 61.
John William Cook was a draughtsman and line engraver, who produced mainly small portrait plates. He may be the same John William Cook who owned a printing company with Frederick Wyatt, based near Tottenham Court Road, London, which was dissolved in 1860.

Places

Belgium, Waterloo

Subjects

horseback, drum (as subject), topography, horse, smoke, military uniform, flag, death, lance, cannon, musket, rifle (military), sword, Napoleonic Wars, Battle of Waterloo, house

Materials & Techniques

engraving

Artist

Alexander Sauerweid (1783 - 1844)
John William Cook

Title

The Battle of Waterloo

Date

published 18 June 1819

Medium

Engraving

Acquisition

Purchased from Colnaghi, April 1952

GAC number

1540