The Death of Nelson

Nelson’s death at the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805 led to an outpouring of commemorative paintings and monuments and Benjamin West saw the event as an opportunity to revive his career, which had been under a cloud. Taking portraits from the life of many officers who had served in the battle, he painted this large canvas in a matter of months and displayed it in his house, where large crowds gathered to see it. The painting is a very inaccurate and idealised version of events. Nelson died below deck, and the chaos and carnage of the battle is here transformed into a carefully staged, almost polite celebration of the fallen admiral’s heroic end.