Descrizione
After leading his troops to victory at the battle of Waterloo, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, embarked on a political career during which he twice served as prime minister. This transition from military service to the highest political office remains unparalleled in Britain history. This book, and the accompanying exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, explores the life of this complex man through portraits and other works of art. These range from images of Wellington and his social, military and political contemporaries to commemorative battle paintings, satirical prints and mass-produced souvenirs. Among the works are paintings by Francisco de Goya and Sir Thomas Lawrence, an early photograph by Antoine Claudet, taken on the occasion of Wellington’s seventy-fifth birthday in 1844, and a sixty-seven-foot panoramic print depicting his funeral procession. Paul Cox explores Wellington’s military and political careers, and the battle of Waterloo which is central to his story, He also examines the Duke’s personal relationships, his status in Victorian society and his legacy.
