The Duke of Wellington Describing the Field of Waterloo to HM George IV

Image credit: The Royal Hospital Chelsea

How you can use this image

This image can be used for non-commercial research or private study purposes, and other UK exceptions to copyright permitted to users based in the United Kingdom under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised. Any other type of use will need to be cleared with the rights holder(s).

Review the copyright credit lines that are located underneath the image, as these indicate who manages the copyright (©) within the artwork, and the photographic rights within the image.

The collection that owns the artwork may have more information on their own website about permitted uses and image licensing options.

Review our guidance pages which explain how you can reuse images, how to credit an image and how to find images in the public domain or with a Creative Commons licence available.

Notes

Add or edit a note on this artwork that only you can see. You can find notes again by going to the ‘Notes’ section of your account.

The fields, a few miles south of Brussels at the village of Mont St Jean on Sunday 18th June 1815, resounded to the clamour of war as Napoleon’s dreams of Empire were shattered by an Allied army of Anglo-Dutch, Hannoverian and Prussian troops commanded by the Duke of Wellington. Almost 220,000 men fought all day and into the evening over an area about two square miles and over 47,000 died.
Sir Walter Scott described them thus…
'Farewell, sad Field!
whose blighted face
Wears desolation's withering trace;
Long shall my memory retain
Thy shattered huts and trampled grain,
With every mark of martial wrong….

…Has not such havoc bought a name
Immortal in the rolls of fame?
Yes – Agincourt may be forgot,
And Cressy be an unknown spot,
And Blenheim's name be new;
But still in story and in song,
For many an age remembered long,
Shall live the towers of Hougomont
And Field of Waterloo!'

The Royal Hospital Chelsea

London

Title

The Duke of Wellington Describing the Field of Waterloo to HM George IV

Date

1840

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 146 x W 175 cm

Accession number

579

Work type

Painting

Tags

See a tag that’s incorrect or offensive? Challenge it and notify Art UK.

Help improve Art UK. Tag artworks and verify existing tags by joining the Tagger community.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea

Royal Hospital Road, London, Greater London SW3 4SR England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.
View venue