33rd Regt. The Duke of Wellington’s Regt. A large portrait of an officer wearing Crimean War medals.

33rd Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. A good, large portrait in coloured chalks identified on the window mount as Captain William Henry Parry, 33rd The Duke of Wellington’s Regt. of Foot. William H. Taylor 1855. Measuring 24 x 19 ins [62 x 48.5 cm] visible within the mount, the three quarter length portrait shows the captain wearing his Crimean Medal with one Clasp and a Turkish Crimea. He wears the long skirted double breasted tunic which was replaced by a single breasted version shortly after the Crimean War. It is rather indistinctly signed lower right and dated London 1855. The portrait was probably painted after Parry’s promotion to captain in 1854 and the medals will have been added a few years later, as is quite often the case with military portraits. There appears to be a few alterations possibly made at that time – the angle of the right arm and the position of the sash to allow the medals more prominence. The portrait is on paper, mounted on old card and a more recent backing board, sold with the portrait; shows that it was later framed and presumably sold by The Parker Gallery, Albermarle Street, London who specialised in military paintings. apr6/3

The 33rd Foot adopted the title of its illustrious commander from its early campaigning in India in the 1790s & early 1800s in 1852 after the Iron Duke’s death.