LONDON.- A huge painting depicting the meeting of the Duke of Wellington and Field Marshal von Blücher which signalled the end of the Battle of Waterloo leads the Wellington, Waterloo and the Napoleonic Wars sale at Bonhams in London on 1 April. It is estimated at £10,000 – 15,000.

The painting by Arthur Stocks (1846 – 1889) is a detailed copy of the famous work by the Irish artist Daniel Maclise which hangs in the Royal Gallery in the House of Lords. The vast canvas – it is over 11ft long and nearly 3ft deep – is crammed with incident. In the background, British and other Coalition soldiers chase the remnants of the French army from the field; in the foreground, lie the bodies of the dead, dying and injured and, in the centre, the sombre figures of the Duke mounted on his famous horse, Copenhagen, and the Field Marshall shake hands surrounded by their retinues. Accompanying Wellington are Lord Arthur Hill, General Somerset and the Hon Henry Percy. Blücher is accompanied by his chief-of-staff, von Gneisenau, Field Marshal Nostitz and General von Bülow. This meeting took place at around 21.00 on 18 June 1815 outside the inn, La Belle Alliance, where Napoleon had established his headquarters on the morning of the battle.

The tone of the painting is pointedly sombre and statesmanlike and lacking any element of triumphalism. This is, however, more a reflection of the way the British wished to portray themselves in the late 1850s when the picture was commissioned than an accurate portrayal of the mood at the time of the battle. France had by then become an informal ally and the two old enemies of the Napoleonic era had recently joined forces to thwart the territorial ambitions of the Russians in the Crimean War (1853-56).

Other items in the sale include an 18 carat gold box belonging to the Earl of Uxbridge who fought alongside Wellington at Waterloo. On losing his leg to a cannon shot, the Earl is alleged to have said, “By God Sir I’ve lost my leg!” to which Wellington replied, “By God Sir so you have!” It is estimated at £50,000-70,000.

Also for sale is a very rare presentation sword from the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813 at which Napoleon was decisively defeated by forces under the command of the Russian Tsar Alexander I. This led to Napoleon’s abdication the following year and his exile on Elba. The sword carries an estimate of £35,000 – 45,000.

The Wellington, Waterloo and the Napoleonic Wars sale will be held on 1 April 2015 at Bonhams Knightsbridge and will feature all kinds of art and objects connected to the period 1803 – 1815.

The Managing Director of Bonhams Knightsbridge, Jon Baddeley, said, ”The battle of Waterloo is one of the most significant military encounters of the 19th century and the outcome had a profound effect on the future of Europe. There will be huge public interest in the 200th anniversary of the battle next June and Bonhams sale will provide a focal point for the many collectors fascinated by this important and absorbing period of history.”