Peninsular War battlefields
Scenes painted onto plates within 10 years
Lawrence - Duke of Wellington J040044
APSLEY HOUSE, London. " Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington " portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830).
Silver gilt centrepiece, Apsley House N081103
APSLEY HOUSE, London. Detail of silver gilt centrepiece made in 1822 showing a Spanish soldier of around 1808. Presented to the Duke of Wellington by Bankers and Merchants of the City of London. WM805-1948.
Gerard - Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain N070585
APSLEY HOUSE, London. "Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain" by Baron Francois-Pascal-Simon GERARD (1770-1837). WM 1630-1948. Painting captured by Wellington at Vitoria, 1813.
Ice pail depicting a Highlander with Spanish militia N081111
APSLEY HOUSE, London. Ice pail from the Duke of Wellington's Prussian Service, made in Berlin 1817-19. This was a gift to the Duke from the King of Prussia, and here depicts scenes from the Peninsular War. Here shown are a British Highlander (42nd Foot - Black Watch) and Spanish Miquelet (militia from Catalonia or Valencia). WM1057_1948.
Scene from the Battle of Vittoria N081153
APSLEY HOUSE, Hyde Park Corner, London. Item from the Wellington Museum depicting the battle of Vittoria, Spain (1813), during the Peninsular War. This is one of the panels around the rim of the Wellington Shield, which was made in 1822. WM 806-1948.
Pieneman - General Miguel Ricardo de Alava y Esquivel N070688
APSLEY HOUSE, London. "General Miguel Ricardo de Alava y Esquivel" sketched by Jan Willem PIENEMAN (1779-1843) in 1821. WM 1527-1948. A veteran of the Spanish contingent at Trafalgar, Alava joined the uprising against the French in 1808. In 1810 he was sent as Spanish liaison with the British in Portugal, where he became friendly with the Duke of Wellington. In 1815, as Spanish ambassador to the Hague, he was able to take up an appointment on Wellington's field staff as the Spanish Commissionary for the allies at the Battle of Waterloo.
French Dragoon J840003
Engraving of a French Napoleonic soldier produced in Paris. A corporal of the 16th Regiment of Dragoons, leaving camp. Pencil annotation indicates that for this regiment the plume should be red, not white as shown. In 1815 the 16th Dragoons formed part of General Maurin's 7th Cavalry Division, attached to Gerard's IV Corps. They took part in the Battles of Ligny (16th June) and Wavre (18th-19th June), but failed to defeat the Prussian rearguard in time to have an effect at the Battle ofWaterloo.
Pieneman - General Rowland Hill N070457
APSLEY HOUSE, London. General Rowland Hill (1772-1842), sketched by Jan Willem PIENEMAN in 1821 (WM 1479-1948). A Peninsular veteran and accomplished commander in his own right, at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Hill commanded the II Corps. He led the charge of Sir Frederick Adam's brigade against the Imperial Guard towards the end of the battle. For some time it was thought that he had fallen in the melee but he escaped unwounded. He was made Viscount Hill of Almaraz in 1842.
Wine cooler. Officer of the Royal Horse Artillery N081107
APSLEY HOUSE, London. Wine cooler from the Duke of Wellington's Prussian Service, made in Berlin 1817-19. This was a gift to the Duke from the King of Prussia, and here depicts troops commanded by the Duke in France in 1815, in this case a British Officer of the Royal Horse Artillery. WM949_1948.
Dessert plate depicting Crossing the Mondego 1810 N080952
APSLEY HOUSE, Hyde Park Corner, London. Item from the Wellington Museum depicting the crossing of the River Mondego, Portugal (1810). Part of a dinner service which was given as a gift from the King of Saxony to the Duke of Wellington in 1819. Dessert Plates of the Saxon Service show scenes of events in Wellington's life, in this case the Peninsular War. WM 1158-1948.
Healy - Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult N070523
APSLEY HOUSE, London. "Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult Duc de Dalmatie" 1840 by George Peter Alexander HEALY (1808-94). WM 1555-1948. Nicolas Soult (1769-1851) joined the French army before the Revolutionary Wars and fought with distinction through a series of campaigns. He was promoted Marshal by Napoleon in 1804 and took part in the Battles of Ulm, Austerlitz and Jena. Soult was a prominent commander in the Peninsular War between 1808 and 1812 and at the Battle of Toulouse. From 1814 his political allegiance followed the winds, serving Louis XVIII, Napoleon again (during the Hundred Days), Louis again (after a short exile), Louis Philippe and then the Republic. At the time of this portrait in 1840 he was Prime Minister of France.
Ice pail depicting English and Spanish soldiers N081112
APSLEY HOUSE, London. Ice pail from the Duke of Wellington's Prussian Service, made in Berlin 1817-19. This was a gift to the Duke from the King of Prussia, and here depicts scenes from the Peninsular War. Here shown are English infantryman and Spanish irregular (guerilla). WM1058_1948.
Lefevre - Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain N070584
APSLEY HOUSE, London. "Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain" (1768-1844) by Robert LEFEVRE (1755-1830). WM 1629-1948. Painting captured at Vitoria 1813.
Beechey - Lt. General Sir Thomas Picton N070463
APSLEY HOUSE, London. "Lt. General Sir Thomas Picton" c.1815 (1758-1815) by Sir William BEECHEY (1753-1839). WM 1485-1948.
Wellington Writing His Despatches J050178
APSLEY HOUSE, London. Print of "Wellington Writing His Despatches" by D. Wilkie.
Dawe - General da Alava N070455
APSLEY HOUSE, London. "General Miguel Ricardo da Alava" (1771-1843) 1818 by George DAWE (1781-1829). WM 1477-1948. A veteran of the Spanish contingent at Trafalgar, Alava joined the uprising against the French in 1808. In 1810 he was sent as Spanish liaison with the British in Portugal, where he became friendly with the Duke of Wellington. In 1815, as Spanish ambassador to the Hague, he was able to take up an appointment on Wellington's field staff as the Spanish Commissionary for the allies at the Battle of Waterloo.
Lawrence - Thomas Graham, Lord Lynedoch N070451
APSLEY HOUSE, London. "Thomas Graham, Lord Lynedoch" commissioned in 1817 from Sir Thomas LAWRENCE (1769-1830). General Graham (1748-1843) served with distinction in the Revolutionary Wars, capturing Malta from the French in 1800. In the Peninsular Wars he served as aide de camp to Sir John Moore in the Corunna campaign (1808), then with distiction at the siege of Cadiz (1811) where he was the victor of the Battle of Barrosa. He later joined Wellington and commanded the allied left wing throughout the campaign of 1813. Lyndoch, the Barossa Valley and the Barossa Ranges of South Australia were all named in his honour. WM 1473-1948.
Pieneman - Major General John Freemantle N070461
APSLEY HOUSE, London. Major General John Freemantle (1790-1864) sketched by Jan Willem PIENEMAN in 1821 (WM 1483-1948). In 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo Lieutenant-Colonel Freemantle was Aide-de-Camp to Wellington, as he had served during the Peninsular War.
Lawrence - Viscount Beresford N070458
APSLEY HOUSE, London. "William Carr, Viscount Beresford" (1768-1854) by Sir Thomas LAWRENCE (1769-1830), commissioned in 1818. WM 1480-1948. Beresford was appointed commander of the Portuguese Army 1809-19.
Hall - Colonel John Gurwood N070445
APSLEY HOUSE, London. 'Colonel John Gurwood, Esquire to the Duke of Wellington' 1837 by James HALL (1797-1854). Colonel Gurwood (1790-1845) served in the army in various positions throughout the Peninsular War. He was wounded in a preliminary skirmish at Waterloo and missed most of the battle. He was private secretary to the Duke, and later edited the Wellington Dispatches. Here he is shown in the robes of Esquire to the Duke as Knight of the Bath. WM 1467-1948.