A large imaginary scene showing the quarter-deck of the ‘Vanguard’, viewed from the port side aft and lit by the exploding French ship, ‘L’ Orient’. On the right Nelson stands in profile looking left, facing the explosion. His head is bandaged and his left foot stands on his discarded shirt lying on the deck next to his hat. His right foot rests on a truck of one of the quarter-deck guns. He gestures with his left arm, ordering the ‘Vanguard’s’ one serviceable boat to be launched to rescue survivors of ‘L’Orient’. To his left, standing on the other side of the gun, is Captain Edward Berry. He looks towards Nelson gesturing in the direction of the ‘L’Orient’ with both hands. Between them is Lieutenant John Adye and behind him, shielding his eyes from the glare of the explosion, is Midshipman Clement Ives.

Behind Nelson in the right of the picture are more figures; left to right, Midshipman the Honourable Granville Proby, Lieutenant Henry Compton, and Edward Gallwey, the ‘Vanguard’s’ first lieutenant, who is preparing to take charge of the boat. To Gallwey’s left is an unnamed sailor with another identifiable as Garrett Grenin. In the left foreground of the picture is the mainmast with three sailors to the right of it hauling on the clew lines. Beyond, silhouetted against the explosion, is the ‘Vanguard’s’ boat with two sailors in it, and below it are sailors swinging it out. Beyond these along the starboard gunwale of the waist are sailors and marines, mostly looking towards the explosion, but also the boatswain gesturing towards the boat and blowing his boatswain’s call. Finally in the centre of the picture, to the left of Captain Berry, are Midshipman Francis Collier and Marine Anderson. Across the background can be seen the anchored ships of the opposing fleets, the British in quarter view, the French in starboard-bow view. The explosion is in the left background.

The portraits in the painting were mainly done from sketches taken from life. Orme also published a key and description, now lost, in which it states that the figures in the exhibited version of the picture were full-size, although its whereabouts are not known. It was engraved and published by Orme in 1800 and again in 1805.