Arthur Wellesley, hertog van Wellington, ter ere van zijn overwinningen in Portugal, Spanje, Frankrijk en België 1815

This bronze medal commemorates Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, celebrating his victories across Portugal, Spain, France, and Belgium. The medal serves as a lens through which we can examine the constructs of heroism and national identity in the 19th century. Wellington, a figure of immense power, embodies the complex interplay of class, colonialism, and military might. His victories, while celebrated, were achieved at the cost of countless lives and the subjugation of diverse populations. The medal’s inscription lionizes Wellington as an "exalted hero", obscuring the human cost of war and the socio-political implications of British imperialism. As we reflect on Wellington’s legacy, let us consider the narratives that history chooses to amplify, and those it leaves in the shadows. This medal invites us to consider whose stories are told, and whose are omitted, in the making of a hero.