The Duke of Wellington
Francisco Goya·c. 1812
Historical Context
Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington, painted in 1812 after Wellington's liberation of Madrid from French occupation, is one of the most historically charged portraits of the Napoleonic era. Wellington arrived in Madrid in August 1812 as a hero, and Goya—who had remained in French-occupied Madrid under ambiguous circumstances—produced this portrait rapidly, reportedly adapting a canvas originally prepared for a different military subject. The original, now in the National Gallery London, was famously stolen from the gallery in 1961 and held for ransom, becoming a Cold War cause célèbre. Workshop versions produced to meet demand from Wellington's admirers across Europe reflect the portrait's immediate status as an image of the man who had saved the Peninsula from Napoleonic domination.
Technical Analysis
The workshop portrait follows Goya's original composition with competent rendering of the duke's features and military dress. While lacking the vivid spontaneity of Goya's own brushwork, the portrait maintains the essential characterization of Wellington's gaunt, determined features.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice this is a workshop version of a famous original: the original Goya at the National Gallery in London was stolen in 1961 by a retired bus driver protesting television license fees, one of the most celebrated art thefts in history.
- ◆Look at Wellington's distinctive features: the aquiline nose and lean, determined face were captured by Goya in a hurried sitting after the liberation of Madrid in 1812.
- ◆Observe the military dress and decorations: Wellington's medals were added and changed as his honors accumulated, reflecting the portrait's function as an evolving image of triumph.
- ◆Find the competent workshop rendering: while lacking the crackling energy of Goya's own brushwork, the portrait preserves the essential characterization of Wellington's gaunt authority.
Provenance
Probably Miguel de Alava [1771-1843], Vitoria, Spain;[1] Ricardo Alava, Madrid; sold c. 1902 to (Joseph Wicht, Madrid); sold in 1902 through Mary Cassatt to Henry Osborne Havemeyer [1847-1907], New York;[2] his widow, Louisine W. Havemeyer, [née Elder, 1855-1929], New York; by descent to their daughter, Mrs. P.H.B. Frelinghuysen [née Adaline Havemeyer, 1884-1963], Morristown, New Jersey; gift 1963 to NGA. [1] Aureliano de Beruete, _Goya, pintor de retratos_, English ed., Boston and New York, 1922: 148-149: "This portrait was in the possession of the descendants of the General Alava, who fought at Wellington's side against the French, which makes us think it was either a present from the general to his companion at arms, or a commission of the Spanish soldiers who wished to have the portrait of his general-in-chief." [2] Louisine W. Havemeyer, _Sixteen to Sixty: Memoirs of a Collector_ , New York, 1961: 153, 156-157, refers to Wicht as "W." Copies of the correspondence between Wicht and Mary Cassatt, Havemeyer's agent, are in the NGA curatorial files.
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