The Death of Lord Nelson in the Cockpit of the Ship 'Victory'

Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

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The scene in the cockpit of 'Victory' during the Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805. The narrative combines the portraiture of the principal figures with an enhanced history painting and shows Lord Nelson's dying moments. He lies propped on pillows, with his shirt ripped open and he draped in a white sheet. The artist evokes neo-classical funerary statuary through his emphasis on Nelson's pallor. Figures are arranged around the death scene. On the right is Mr Burke, the purser, seated in the foreground and supporting Nelson's pillows. Behind Nelson, the head and shoulders of Dr Beatty, the senior surgeon on board the 'Victory', are visible with his right hand holding a handkerchief around the wound. His assistant surgeon, Neil Smith, is shown straining forward to hear Nelson's dying words.

National Maritime Museum

London

Title

The Death of Lord Nelson in the Cockpit of the Ship 'Victory'

Date

1808

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 88.5 x W 73 cm

Accession number

BHC0566

Acquisition method

National Maritime Museum (Greenwich Hospital Collection)

Work type

Painting

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