His Last Return from Duty
His Last Return from Duty is an 1853 oil painting by American artist James William Glass. It measures 81.3 cm by 123 cm and is kept at Apsley House, London.
The scene shows the Duke of Wellington riding out from Horse Guards on the day he formally relinquished his position as Commander in Chief. Wellington died in September 1852 before the picture was finished and had a state funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral on 18 November 1852.
Glass was introduced to Wellington through the American Embassy and painted him in sittings in the library at Apsley House. He showed an oil sketch to the Duke, who seemed pleased but warned, “you had better take your sittings now as I may not be here in the spring.”
In the painting, the Duke is accompanied by his long-time groom John Mears, with two Chelsea Pensioners saluting on the right.
The work, or an earlier version, was exhibited at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1853 at the National Gallery. Today the painting is part of the collection at Apsley House, Wellington’s London residence at Hyde Park Corner. The image became a popular subject for a successful engraving.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:52 (CET).