Talk:Waterloo Vase

A fact from Waterloo Vase appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 29 June 2005. The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that the Waterloo Vase is a massive marble urn, 15 feet (4.6 metres) high and weighing 15 tons (13.6 metric tons), which was commissioned by French leader Napoleon but ultimately became an ornament in the British monarch's Buckingham Palace Gardens?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2005/June.

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Untitled[edit]

Curious story. Can we have a picture?

Ricardo monteiro 28 June 2005 08:14 (UTC)

No! not unless someone is brave enought to scale the walls of the palace and take a foto. There are several in copyright books, but I can't find even a single one on the internet to link to it. Various companies make a style of garden urn known as "Waterloo", but they bear no resemblence in shape, style, size or quality to "The Vase". I can't believe there isn't a picture on the internet somewhere, but I can't find it if there is Giano | talk 28 June 2005 08:20 (UTC)

It says the vase weighs 20 tons at the beginning of the article, but 15 tons near the end?? — Cryptoid 29 June 2005 01:39 (UTC)

Yeah, you're right various sources are giving varying weights, I think I shall have to mention this somewhere in the text, I'll look them up first. Giano | talk 29 June 2005 08:34 (UTC)

I'd just like to point out that at the very least, these 15 and 20 tons are both in the proper order of magnitude of this thing. it looks like it's about 2 meters wide, judging from photos found on google image, so if it were made from a block 2x2x5 meters, that would be about 50 tons (solid marble weighs about 2.5tons/cu.m. Aenikolopov 17:51, 8 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Shipping it to England[edit]

If no floor could bear the weight, how did it get to England? Wouldn't a carriage collapse underneath it and the floors of a ship as well? Or is it like over time? I guess I'm not clear as to the main issue, am I missing something very obvious? it'd be interesting to see how he got to England from the Continent though. Arthurian Legend 05:03, 24 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Coordinates[edit]

If it's in "a wooded area to the northwest of the main building", and it's in a clearing with a plinth (as is apparent from the 1938 photo), does that mean we can assume it's 51°30′08″N 0°08′54″W / 51.50212867426479°N 0.14827989041805267°W and insert those coordinates in the article?

Text from The Gentleman's Magazine, 1836 (sadly no picture)[edit]

THE WATERLOO VASE. This magnificent specimen of modern art has been recently removed to the National Gallery, in Trafalgar-square. It was found necessary to have it deposited there before the completion of the building, as its dimensions would render it impossible to admit it after. The circumstances connected with the marble of which it is composed are remarkable. Napoleon Bonaparte, having seen the Mocks in passing through Tuscany, in his progress to the Russian campaign, desired that they might be preserved, in order that a trophy of the anticipated victory might be worked from them by some eminent sculptor. A few years afterwards the identical blocks of marble were sent to this country by the Grand Duke of Tuscany as a present to his late Majesty George IV. who caused them to be sculptured into a vase of enormous size, in order to commemorate the victory of Waterloo. The height is about sixteen feet; the diameter of the top about nine or ten feet. On one end is represented King George IV. on bis throne, with Fame presenting the palm of victory. Buonaparte, on the other side, is seen dismounted from his horse. The rest is filled up with allegorical figures. This choice specimen of British art. is the work of Richard Westmacott, esq. R. A., and it is, without doubt, the largest and most splendid vase in the world. It was originally intended to adorn " the Waterloo Gallery" in Windsor Castle; but, in consequence of its great weight, (about 20 tons), the idea was abandoned, as it was considered unsafe to place it in that situation. It is stated that the Emperor of Russia has requested a cast of the vase in bronze. The statues, by Canova, which belong, ed to King George the Fourth, bave been placed in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace. Two of them, the Venus and Adonis, and Beauty wakened by Love, are finished with all the happy skill of that great master. The third, a Nymph with Flowers, is unfinished. —Preceding unsigned comment added by The Wednesday Island (talk • contribs) 17:09, 15 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

From Britton and Pugin's "Illustrations of the Public Buildings of London", 1838 (no illustration, despite the name)[edit]

In the centre vestibule, between the two screens supporting the columns, stands a marble vase of lofty proportions and colossal dimensions; for, together with its pedestal, it rises to nearly half the height of the columns, though they are elevated to the level of the upper floor. This gigantic piece of sculpture, which was brought to this country from Milan, where it had been commenced by order of Napoleon, was afterwards finished by Westmacott, and received the name of the Waterloo Vase. It is noticed by Dr. Waagen in his ' Kunstwerke and Kiinstler in England,' where he thus speaks of it: "I here saw the celebrated vase of one block of Carrara. marble, on one side of which the victory of the Duke of Wellington over Napoleon, at the battle of Waterloo, is represented in relief, in an action of cavalry, and on the other, George IV. of England receiving the treaty of peace. The form of this most colossal of all marble vases, the height of which I estimate at eighteen feet, resembles, on the whole, that of the well-known Borghese vase in the Louvre, but is far less happy in its profile. The upper part especially, on which are the bas-reliefs, is deficient in gracefulness of outline. The lower part, richly adorned with admirably executed acanthus leaves, appears to greater advantage. The careful execution of this colossal work, which is intended to adorn one of the apartments in the new building for the National Gallery, is worthy of admiration, and its appearance very grand." —Preceding unsigned comment added by The Wednesday Island (talk • contribs) 17:13, 15 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

photos[edit]

There are some photos of the vase with Queen Elizabeth by Sir Cecil Beaton from the 1930's. Not sure who owns the pics or if they are public domain but maybe they could be? Turn➦ 06:55, 10 March 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I uploaded a fair use image of the vase. I added that image to the article. It is pending review. There are no other options for free images on the internet. PointsofNoReturn (talk) 02:33, 25 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Added image. KJP1 (talk) 08:50, 28 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]