David Wilkie (artist) in the context of "Painter and Limner"

A hierarchy of genres is any formalization which ranks different genres in an art form in terms of their prestige and cultural value.

In literature, the epic was considered the highest form, for the reason expressed by Samuel Johnson in his Life of John Milton: "By the general consent of criticks, the first praise of genius is due to the writer of an epick poem, as it requires an assemblage of all the powers which are singly sufficient for other compositions." Below that came lyric poetry, and comic poetry, with a similar ranking for drama. The novel took a long time to establish a firm place in the hierarchy, doing so only as belief in any systematic hierarchy of forms expired in the 19th century.

The Chelsea Pensioners reading the Waterloo Dispatch, originally entitled Chelsea Pensioners Receiving the London Gazette Extraordinary of Thursday, June 22, 1815, Announcing the Battle of Waterloo, is an oil painting by David Wilkie, commissioned by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington in August 1816.

It was exhibited at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1822 at Somerset House, where it was so popular that a rail was installed to protect it from the thronging crowds. This was the first time that a rail was needed at the Royal Academy exhibition. The painting was retained by the Duke of Wellington and his descendants, it remains part of the Wellington Collection at Apsley House, but is now on loan to the National Gallery, London.

The Royal Academy Exhibition of 1822 was the annual Summer Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts. It was held at Somerset House between 6 May and 13 July 1822 and featured over a thousand exhibits.

By far the most popular attraction on display was Chelsea Pensioners Reading the Waterloo Dispatch by the Scottish artist David Wilkie. Commissioned by the Duke of Wellington and having taken several years to complete, it required a railing to be erected to hold back the crowds.

The letter of introduction, along with the visiting card, was an important part of polite social interaction in the 18th and 19th centuries. It remains important in formal situations, such as an ambassador presenting his or her credentials (a letter of credence), and in certain business circles.

In general, a person would not interact socially with others unless they had been properly introduced, whether in person or by letter. A person of lower social status would request a patron of higher social status to write a letter of introduction to a third party, also of higher social status than the first person. It was important to observe the niceties of etiquette in requesting, writing and presenting such letters, in such matters as the quality of the paper used, and whether it would be delivered unsealed to allow the requesting party to read it. For example, it was best practice to deliver a letter of introduction to the intended recipient with a visiting card, to allow the recipient to reciprocate by calling upon the sender the next day.