The best-loved painting by William Salter is Sir Henry Murray (1837), which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, London. The Waterloo Banquet (1836) and Arthur Wellesley (1769–1852), 1st Duke of Wellington (1839) come next among the canvases readers know best. Our catalogue holds 88 works by William Salter: here are the 88 most famous, each with its year, its museum and what makes it memorable.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated October 2026. Each painting on this page can be ordered as an oil reproduction painted by hand on linen canvas, or as a fine art print, made to the size you choose.
This nineteenth-century portrait depicts Sir Henry Murray in a three-quarter profile view, presented from the waist up against a dark, atmospheric background. The subject is positioned slightly off-center, creating a sense of presence within the vertical composition. He is dressed in a military tunic of a vibrant, saturated red, which serves as the primary focal point of the work. The uniform is detailed with gold accents appearing on the epaulettes,…
The room is filled with the heavy scent of wax and old wood. Light spills from a large window, washing over a table crowded with the remnants of a celebration. Men in formal attire and women in delicate lace lean toward one another, their faces caught in the amber glow of a social ritual. A portrait of a man in military uniform watches from the wall, a silent witness to…
The painting depicts Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, positioned against a coastal landscape. He is shown from the waist up, oriented toward the viewer but with his gaze directed toward the distance. He wears a military uniform characterized by a high collar and a visible tie. A sword hangs at his side, and a second sword is positioned further back in the composition. The background consists of a…
The four subjects that return most often on these canvases, each with its best-loved example.
The 5 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by William Salter | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Portrait Gallery |
London | 78 | Sir Henry Murray, Don Miguel Ricardo de Alava, Richard Egerton |
 National Maritime Museum |
London | 1 | Arthur Wellesley (1769–1852), 1st Duke of Wellington |
 Коледж Гертфорд |
Oxford | 1 | Richard Michell (1805–1877), First Principal of Hertford College (1874) |
 Honiton Town Council |
Honiton | 1 | The Entombment of Christ |
 Thorvaldsen Museum |
Copenhagen | 1 | Count Carlo Andrea Pozzo di Borgo |
This nineteenth-century portrait depicts Sir Henry Murray in a three-quarter profile view, presented from the waist up against a dark, atmospheric background. The subject is positioned slightly off-center,…
Sir Henry Murray (1837), National Portrait Gallery, London. The Waterloo Banquet (1836) and Arthur Wellesley (1769–1852), 1st Duke of Wellington (1839) follow.
William Salter, born in 1804, was 33 years old: Sir Henry Murray dates from 1837.
Sir Henry Murray, The Waterloo Banquet, Arthur Wellesley (1769–1852), 1st Duke of Wellington, Don Miguel Ricardo de Alava, Richard Egerton, Stephen Galway Adye, Sir John Elley, Sir Andrew Francis Barnard, Sir Colin Halkett and William George Harris, 2nd Baron Harris. Each canvas in the ranking above comes with its year and its museum.
88 works by William Salter are in our catalogue, dated 1825 to 1874.
Mostly in National Portrait Gallery (London), National Maritime Museum (London) and Коледж Гертфорд (Oxford); the list above names each museum and its canvases.
In 1840s, which gave 55 of the 88 works on this page, Don Miguel Ricardo de Alava among them.
The earliest canvas here is John Jeffreys Pratt (1759–1840), Marquis Camden (1825); the latest is Richard Michell (1805–1877), First Principal of Hertford College (1874) (1874).
Portrait (12), Military (11) and Formal (8), across the 88 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, used in 2 of the 88 works on this page.
Neoclassicism and Academic realism, as the canvases on this page show.
The National Portrait Gallery, London holds 78 of the works on this page, among them Sir Henry Murray, Don Miguel Ricardo de Alava and Richard Egerton.
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered from its own page as an oil reproduction painted by hand, or as a fine art print, in the size you choose.
In the heart of the nineteenth century, as Britain navigated the profound shifts of the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of its global influence, William Salter emerged as a painter capable of capturing the very soul of Victorian grandeur. Born in 1804 in the quiet town of Honiton, Devon, Salter’s early life was rooted in the traditional English landscape, yet his artistic spirit was destined for much larger stages. His journey from a student at Honiton Grammar School to a respected figure in the London art scene was paved with an unyielding dedication to classical mastery and an insatiable intellectual curiosity. Unlike many of his contemporaries who sought fame through mere trend-following, Salter’s approach was one of deep, scholarly immersion, blending the precision of a documentarian with the emotional depth of a true storyteller.
The foundation of Salter's technical brilliance was laid far from the English coast. In 1822, he sought the rigorous training offered by the studios of James Northcote, a connection that would prove transformative for his developing style. This period of apprenticeship allowed him to absorb the nuances of light and shadow, preparing him for his subsequent Grand Tour of Italy. While traveling through the artistic heartlands of Florence and Padua, Salter did not merely observe; he engaged with the classical ideals of the Renaissance. It was during these Italian sojourn that works such as Socrates before his Judges were conceived, earning him significant acclaim among European intellectuals and establishing his reputation as an artist capable of handling complex, historical narratives with grace and psychological insight.
The zenith of Salter’s career arrived in 1836 with the unveiling of his most ambitious and celebrated undertaking: The Waterloo Banquet. Commissioned by the Duke of Wellington himself, this colossal work was far more than a simple commemorative painting; it was a tableau vivant of historical magnitude. The canvas serves as a breathtaking window into a singular moment of British triumph, meticulously depicting approximately eighty distinguished individuals gathered to celebrate the victory at Waterloo. To execute such a feat, Salter had to possess an extraordinary capacity for observation, capturing not only the regalia and the magnificent silver chandelier by Domingos Antonio de Sequeira but also the subtle interpersonal dynamics of the assembled elite.
Within this masterpiece, one finds the hallmark of Salter’s technique—a seamless blend of realism and atmosphere. He managed to convey the sheer scale of the event without sacrificing the individual dignity of his subjects. The painting, which remains a crown jewel of Apsley House, stands as a testament to his ability to synthesize historical documentation with artistic grandeur. Through his brush, the celebratory energy of the banquet is preserved for eternity, allowing modern viewers to feel the weight of the era's political and social significance.
Beyond the monumental scale of his historical compositions, Salter’s repertoire included a range of intimate portraits that showcased his mastery of character. His ability to render textures—the heavy crimson of a military uniform or the delicate lace of a lady's gown—made him a sought-after painter for the British aristocracy and military officers alike. Works such as Sir John Elley and Sir Colin Campbell demonstrate his skill in using chiaroscuro to create dramatic, lifelike presences that command the viewer's attention.
Salter’s contribution to art history extends beyond the canvas; he was an educator and a traveler whose life reflected the intellectual vigor of his age. His legacy is defined by several key pillars:
When William Salter passed away on 22 December 1875, he left behind a body of work that remains an essential archive of British identity. His paintings continue to serve as vital touchstones for understanding the elegance, the complexity, and the monumental ambitions of a nation at the height of its power.
