An engraving after the painting ‘The Immortality of Nelson’ by Benjamin West, BHC2905. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1807 the painting was part of West’s concept for a monument commemorating Nelson. The engraving was used as the frontispiece of the first biography written about Nelson, ‘The Life of Admiral Lord Nelson, KB’. Written by James Stainer Clarke and John McArthur this was published in 1809. Nelson’s death inspired a cult of hero-worship and associated imagery such as this apotheosis. Evoking allegory to elevate Nelson’s image, West adapted a classical reading of an apotheosis to emphasize heroism and sacrifice. The message is reinforced through the composition demonstrating its subject’s nautical achievements.

Nelson, positioned with the gods, receives immortality as his dead body is offered up to Britannia by Neptune. Britannia is shown in shadow, denoting the grief of the nation. Neptune, positioned on the left of the painting and surrounded by nereids, is up to his waist in water. In the right foreground are two of the wild-eyed hippocampi that drew his chariot. Their tails swirl in the maelstrom of water while the smoke and ferocity of battle rages on the right. Nelson, wrapped in a white shroud and lying on a bed of clouds, resembles neo-classical funerary sculpture. He is accompanied by winged putti and his head is supported by the winged Victory, who also helps support Neptune’s trident in her left hand. As the messenger of the gods she represents the crowning of the victor in a contest of arms. In this image the victor is Britain, indicated by Britannia, although the victory has come at a high price. Two more winged cherubs hover above her, one holding her attribute of a laurel wreath and the other a banner with the word ‘TRAFALGAR’, to emphasize the locus of victory and loss. Three more cherubs hold Britannia’s shield and in front of it is a lion. Representing Britain, it holds tablets inscribed with Nelson’s victories in battle, ‘NILE’, ‘COPENHAGEN’, ‘CAPE St VINCENT’, and ‘CXXII BATTLES’. Below the lion several figures hold a black cloak to represent the death of Nelson.

West’s design was also executed in modified form as sculpted decoration on the pediment of the King William Court colonnade of Greenwich Hospital. Later he gained great popular acclaim with his large painting the ‘Death of Lord Nelson’, 1806, in an ‘epic composition’ which he relocated to the quarter-deck of the ‘Victory’.