DUKE OF WELLINGTON

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 63, 12 September 1938, Page 6

DUKE OF WELLINGTON

LINK WITH HIS DAYS

POLICE OFFICER'S ETCHING

There is in the room of Mr. E. W. - Dinnie, the finger-print expert, at the . Central Police Station, Wellington, a j remarkable etching of a historic shield a presented to the Duke of Wellington, - the conqueror at Waterloo. The history 3 of this etching is of great interest and ~ m proves that it is a possession of unique value and a picture that would grace ~ any museum in the Empire. i 5 j Mr. Dinnie is unable to supply the 31 .history of the shield but he recalls | that the etching came into the posses-1 I sion of his late father while Cornmis- • sioner of Police in New Zealand. After 5 twenty-seven years at Scotland Yard J Mr. Dinnie came to the Dominion in 1903 to join the Police-Force and he ; brought out the trophy from England. | The shield was designed and the ; etching done by Thos. Stothard, R.A., I of London, and details were published . on September 1, 1820. History records I that he was born in London in 1755 in" the Black Horse Inn in Lang Acre. ' His designs in Harrison's "Novelties Magazine" attracted the attention of | Flaxman and a friendship between the [ two artists commenced that was of > advantage to both. He was made an . R.A. in 1785, Academician in 1794, and - Librarian in 1802. * Among his import- - ant designs were BaydelPs Shake--1 speare, Roger's Poems, the Canterbury ; Pilgrims, and the Wellington Shield. Stothard gave countless designs for goldsmiths and the origin of many ! well-known pieces of English sculpture i were traced to him. He died in 1834 , j and portraits of him were made by i Harlow Jackson and a bust by Bailey. • His biography was written by Mrs. > Bray. The etching is three and a half feet in diameter and is altogether a re- ! markable piece of artistic work. In the centre is ,-a group of famous sol- . diers. The Duke is surrounded by ' his divisional commanders and round 1 the outside are sections (illustrated) ■ showing his most notable victories in ' India and in Europe* the figures being [ descriptive of their history. ". There are, first, Assaye (1808) in India, where the Duke made his early , reputation as a leader; Vimiera (1808).. the passage of the Douro; Oporto (1809), the lines of Torres Vedras (1811). Salamanca (1812), Badajoz (1812). Vittoria (1813), entrance into Toulouse (1814), Battle of the Pyrenees and Bordeaux (1814); and finally the presentation of the Dukedom to Wellington by King George 111. The ornamental wori; on the four sections and the study of figures in the respective pictures are marvellously well executed and are plainly the work of a master in the art. The detail is simply amazing; each face and figure has its own particular, feai tures and expression. Each section is typical of the scenes depicted and the whole is an extraordinary study in the history of the wars of the Napoleonic era. Mr. Dinnie says he believes that his father had a plan of the group of generals giving the . name and rank of each.