The Great Statue of Wellington
Robin James
Hello everyone! I have not yet posted anything about the Wellington Arch so here is something you might find interesting.
If you have ever been to Aldershot, you may have spotted the Duke of Wellington perched on a hill by the Royal Garrison Church. This was the eventual location chosen for a statue of the Duke, created by Matthew Cotes Wyatt and originally unveiled atop the Wellington Arch in 1846. Whenever this statue is discussed, something that is invariably mentioned is its enormous size. Constructed from roughly forty tonnes of bronze, the scale of the statue was one of the factors that led to its great public unpopularity and eventual removal in 1883. It is actually a very impressive work of art, with a very close resemblance to the first Duke. The casting process used to create such a large statue demonstrates the technological advancement of the age, and its placement on the existing structure of what was then known as the Green Park Arch was another remarkable feat of engineering. An important moment in the creation of this statue was imagined by JMW Turner (shown above). In his painting ‘The Hero of a Hundred Fights,’ Turner dramatically imagines the birth of the statue in the foundry. As the mould is pulled apart, the metal is not yet cooled and the scene is flooded with an intense, almost white light. The surrounding figures and industrial machinery are rendered in shadow as the hot metal creates a bright aura around Wellington. Although the painting does not show the statue in great detail, suggestions of its form can be made out through the glow. Copenhagen’s head, and the Duke with outstretched arm are present as a dim outline. The Tate’s website provides some interesting interpretation of the painting:
Using the intense light of the foundry to obscure the figure, Turner transforms Wellington into an ethereal presence. The image is in stark contrast to Turner’s carefully researched battle scenes. Here, tone and colour are employed to endow a national hero with elemental force.
Turner originally painted this scene between 1800 and 1810, but later reworked it. It was during this reworking that the statue of Wellington was added to an already industrial setting. It was exhibited in 1847, a year after the Wellington statue was placed atop the Wellington Arch. Turner’s interpretation of the statue is interesting. Many in the artistic community found the statue’s size and placement on the Arch to be highly distasteful both to the people of London and visitors who saw it. The transformation of Wellington into a hero with the ethereal presence described above seems to suggest Turner’s approval of the statue as an accurate and fitting representation of the man himself. Represented as a glowing effigy, Wellington is imbued with an transcendental status that also serves to elevate the statue itself as something heavenly in an otherwise dark, dirty and fairly gloomy scene.
The deconstruction of the Wellington Arch in 1882 provided an opportunity to move the giant Wellington statue to a new location. Sites other than the statue’s eventual home in Aldershot were proposed, such as in St. James’ park close to Horse Guards Parade. The statue may have looked quite at home here in London, as you can see in this sketch by Henry Edward Tidmarsh in 1885:
If you are in Aldershot or are passing by, I highly recommend going to see the statue of Wellington there. Having presided over the hustle and bustle of Hyde Park Corner, the Duke now has a very different setting in a much quieter place. He also has his own ‘Wellington Roundabout’ not far away! The statue has recently undergone some restoration work and re-bronzing to ensure that the sculpting can be best appreciated as the artist intended. Although it is a shame that this excellent celebration of Wellington’s achievements can no longer be seen in London, the statue created by Joseph Edgar Boehm in 1888 has ensured that the first Duke can still be seen from the window of his old residence.
Here is a link to the website of the Friends of Aldershot Military Museum where there is a map for finding the statue, and some more pictures: http://friendsofthealdershotmilitarymuseum.org.uk/projects.003.html
