Battle of Waterloo on the 18th of June 1815

A view of the Battle of Waterloo issued less than a year after the momentous event.

As the engagement that decisively (though not conclusively) ended the imperial ambitions of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Battle of Waterloo ranks among some of the most important battles ever fought. It made famous the Duke of Wellington (seen in the foreground tipping his hat) and ushered in nearly a century of British imperial hegemony known as ‘Pax Britannica.’

The battlefield near the small Belgian town after which the engagement took its name is shown on this engraved print. Allied officers, led by Wellesley and Field Marshal Blucher, can be seen in the foreground. Napoleon’s imperial guard, in retreat but remaining in strict square formation, can be seen in the background.

Based off a painting by G.M. Brighty, the print was engraved by John Brown and published in London by T. Kinnersley in March of 1816.