This print is from Dr William Beatty's published account of the death of Nelson, which also included an engraving of the musket ball and epaulette fragment impacted on it that Beatty extracted from Nelson's spine in post-mortem examination. This occurred on 'Victory' in the Channel between Portsmouth and the Nore in December 1805. The artist, Devis, had come aboard 'Victory' at Portsmouth, probably with an introduction from Nelson's agent Alexander Davison, to do sketches for what became his painting of the 'Death of Nelson' (BHC2894) which had been commissioned for engraving by Boydell. Since he had been released from debtor's prison to do this he had no inducement for an early return, and made himself welcome on board by sketching the various officers. By this means he was invited to remain when the ship brought Nelson's body up Channel on its way to London and so was present at the autopsy, when the body was removed from the cask of brandy in which it was preserved and subsequently dressed and placed in its inner coffins. He did the medical drawings that record it (as above) and also took the last likeness from Nelson's face, on which this portrait was based. Though reported well preserved it was not judged sufficiently so to risk making a death mask. Devis painted a number of versions of this portrait: the original was for Beatty (of whom he also did an individual portrait, BHC2538). This was shown at the Royal Academy in 1807 and was the basis of this print: the Museum's copy, which was presented to the third Earl Nelson later in the 19th century, is BHC2270. This print is the best and most complete image of a number of copies in the collection, from which the publisher details at the bottom and other parts of the inscription have often been trimmed. [PvdM 6/10]