Skip to main content

Primary sourcePainting1812-1814

Portrait of the Duke of Wellington

Francisco Goya · 1812-1814

Goya's painting of the British general Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, made after he entered Madrid during the Peninsular War.

Goya painted this portrait of Wellington, showing how he served whatever power controlled Madrid during the war.

Ask Francisco Goya about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Oil painting of a man with short dark hair and light eyes, wearing a red military coat with a dark collar, white cravat, gold chains, medals, and a pink and blue sash, against a dark background.
Francisco Goya, Portrait of the Duke of Wellington, 1812-1814. National Gallery, London.

About this source

What it is

This oil-on-panel portrait was painted by Francisco Goya, likely from life, after the Duke of Wellington entered Madrid in 1812 during the Peninsular War. Goya later modified the painting in 1814 to add new medals Wellington had received. It is now held by the National Gallery in London.

Why it matters

Goya painted several portraits of Wellington, the British general who helped liberate Madrid from French occupation. The portrait shows Goya working for whichever power controlled the city at the time — first the French, then the British and Spanish allies. The painting later became famous again after it was stolen from the National Gallery in 1961 and recovered years later.

Look closer

  • What does the uniform and the medals tell you about Wellington's military career?
  • Why might Goya have needed to update the painting with new honours?
  • What might this portrait tell you about how artists navigated shifting political loyalties?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Francisco Goya on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Francisco Goya sources

Meet the AI Francisco Goya →
Painting of a nighttime execution. On the left, a man in a white shirt and yellow trousers throws his arms up while other prisoners cover their faces or kneel. Bodies lie bloodied on the ground in the foreground. On the right, a row of soldiers in dark shakos aims muskets at the prisoners, beside a lantern-lit box. A town with a church tower sits under a dark sky.Painting

Secondary source

The Third of May 1808

Francisco Goya · 1814

Black and white etching of Goya's Disasters of War series, plate 2, titled 'Con razón ó sin ella'. A bearded man in dark clothing, arm outstretched, is pushed back by a soldier thrusting a rifle with bayonet; another soldier in a tall hat stands behind. Bodies lie on the ground at left, and a crowd of figures is crouched in the background.Painting

Primary source

The Disasters of War

Francisco Goya · 1810-1820

Etching showing a standing man in pale clothing with head bowed, leaning against a wooden post, while a seated figure and a lying body in the foreground appear in dark shadow. Plate labeled 'Y no hai remedio' beneath the image.Painting

Primary source

Y no hai remedio

Francisco de Goya · c. 1810-1814 (published 1863)

Etching from Goya's Caprichos, plate 43. A sleeping man rests his head on a desk with his arms folded while owls, bats, and a cat gather around him in a dark sky. Caption reads 'El sueño de la razón produce monstruos.' Number 43 in the top right corner.Painting

Primary source

Caprichos

Francisco Goya · 1799 (created 1797-1798)

Etching of a man asleep with his head on his arms at a desk, surrounded by owls, bats, and a cat. Inscription in the lower left reads 'El sueño de la razón produce monstruos'. Dark, hatched lines on a light ground.Painting

Primary source

The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters

Francisco Goya · 1797-1799

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Francisco Goya now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions