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Equestrian Statue of the Duke of Wellington

The Equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington is a bronze equestrian monument by the Austrian-British sculptor Joseph Boehm. It depicts the British field marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, seated on horseback and stands at Hyde Park Corner in London. The statue was unveiled in 1888 and placed opposite Apsley House, so Wellington faces the house that served as his London residence. It was created to replace an earlier Wellington statue by Matthew Cotes Wyatt, which had stood on Wellington Arch but was later removed because it was considered too large for the arch. The bronze was cast from captured French cannon and is listed as Wellington Monument, Hyde Park Corner SW1.

Duke of Wellington statue on a stone pedestal, with smaller figures at the base in a park setting.
The Duke of Wellington equestrian statue stands on a stone pedestal with smaller figures at the base.
November 2009 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Duke of Wellington equestrian statue on a stone plinth, with a soldier figure holding a rifle below.
The Duke of Wellington statue rises above a soldier figure on the monument’s base against a clear blue sky.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Duke of Wellington statue on horseback atop a stone pedestal, with Wellington Arch and a winged sculpture in the background.
The Duke of Wellington statue stands in front of Wellington Arch beneath a partly cloudy sky.
January 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Duke of Wellington Statue beside Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner
The Duke of Wellington Statue stands near Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner under a clear sky.
1999 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Duke of Wellington equestrian statue in front of Wellington Arch, with carriages and pedestrians on a London street.
The Duke of Wellington Statue stands near Wellington Arch in London, shown in a historic black-and-white photograph.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0

Identification

TitleEquestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington
SubjectArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
TypeEquestrian statue

Creator

SculptorJoseph Boehm
Sculptor nationalityAustrian-British

Historical context

Unveiled1888
Commissioned reasonTo replace Matthew Cotes Wyatt's earlier equestrian statue of the Duke, which was removed from Wellington Arch

Location and ownership

LocationHyde Park Corner, London, England, opposite Apsley House
FacesApsley House, Wellington's London home

Physical characteristics

PedestalMassive rectangular granite pedestal
SizeAbout life-size
PoseWellington is seated on horseback; the horse stands with all four hooves on the ground
Depicted horseCopenhagen
Depicted personArthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington

Appearance

Corner figuresFour British soldiers: a Grenadier of the Grenadier Guards, a Royal Scots Highlander, an Irish dragoon of the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoon Regiment, and a fusilier of the Royal Welch Fusiliers
Inscription on plinthWELLINGTON; 1769–1852 in raised bronze characters
Wellington's clothingMilitary uniform, sabre, boots with spurs, bicorne (Wellington hat), and a sash with long fringes tied around the hips
Wellington's accessoriesHolding the horse's reins in his left hand and a telescope in his right hand
Figure attitudeHe appears to have his back turned on the processional way through the open space where the statue stands

Materials

Bronze sourceCaptured French cannons
Pedestal materialPink Peterhead granite from Stirlinghill quarry near Boddam, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Base materialGrey Aberdeen granite from the Rubislaw quarry, Aberdeen
Statue materialBronze

History and restoration

Earlier related statueMatthew Cotes Wyatt's 1846 equestrian statue of the Duke, once on Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, removed in 1882–83 and re-erected at Aldershot Camp, Hampshire in 1883
Other related statueFrancis Leggatt Chantrey and Henry Weekes's bronze Wellington equestrian statue of 1844, formerly in front of the Royal Exchange in the City of London
Other related statueJohn Steell's Wellington statue of 1852 in Edinburgh
Other related statueCarlo Marochetti's Wellington statue of 1844 in Glasgow

Significance

Heritage listingListed on 14 January 1970 as Wellington Monument, Hyde Park Corner SW1, number 1231514