Lot 650
WILLIAM GRIMALDI R.A. (1751-1830)
A miniature portrait of His Grace Arthur Duke of Wellington standing in Field Marshal's uniform wearing orders and decorations and holding baton and sword, three quarter length, signed and dated 1814, on ivory,19 x 14.5 cms, in original gilt gesso frame
*The baton that the Duke is holding was presented to him by the Prince Regent in 1813 and the sword is that presented to him at a Guildhall banquet by the Common Council of the City of London in July 1814.
It is recorded that Wellington sat four times for this portrait which was painted at Apsley House just before he set out for Brussels and the Low Countries on his way to take up his appointment as Ambassador in Paris which he entered in August 1814.
In 1815 the portrait was exhibited at the Royal Academy (no. 555).
Grimaldi attracted the notice of Sir Joshua Reynolds, many of whose works he copied in miniature and Reynolds recommended him to royalty and many persons of distinction. In 1804 he was appointed enamel painter to the Prince of Wales.
His works were recorded by his descendant A.B. Grimaldi in his "Catalogue Chronological and Descriptive of Paintings, Drawings & Engravings by and after William Grimaldi RA." (privately printed 1873). It includes no. 185, H.G. Arthur L. Duke of Wellington K.G. 1814, three quarter length cabinet size "for Capt. Stacey of Maidstone" (the portrait offered for sale).
Provenance of this and the following lot:
By descent from the Stacey family, the original purchaser being Capt. Edwin Stacey (b.1794 and gazetted Lieutenant in the XII Light Dragoons in 1812)
