In the early 1800s, Britain was at war with nearly everyone: the French, Americans, Spanish, and Irish. Numerous conflicts raged in Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. There was hardly a country the British were not attacking. The battles most prominent in the national psyche were those of the Napoleonic Wars. Austen’s newspapers were filled with accounts of military action and individual acts of courage.

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On the night of the Battle of Waterloo, the Duchess of Richmond, with the Duke of Wellington’s permission, hosted a ball that has since become known as the most famous ball in history. We imagine that for several years following, this event was commemorated at Apsley House, the Duke’s London residence.

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Our stylistic direction for the .ai image placed the Duke’s jacket at the centre of the composition, surrounded by a throng of ballgoers, an imagined echo of a night suspended between elegance and impending battle.