The Right Honorable Rear Admiral Lord Nelson. K.B

A full-length portrait of Horatio Nelson (1758–1805) in rear-admiral’s full-dress uniform, 1795–1812, with the sash and star of the Order of the Bath, holding his sword in his left hand. He stands on a capture flag beside a gun and a pile of shot on the deck of a ship, with the explosion of the French flagship, ‘L’Orient’, 120 guns, at the Battle of the Nile in August 1798 in the background. Lettered beneath the image with the title: ‘The Right Honorable Rear Admiral, Lord Nelson. K.B. This Gallant Hero was created a British Peer on the 6th Octr. 1798 by the Stile & Title of Baron Nelson of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe, in the County of Norfolk. In consequence of his having obtained a Signal Victory over the French Fleet in the Bay of Bequire, off the Mouth of the Nile, on the 1st & 2nd of August 1798, In this Engagement he took 9 Ships of the Line, destroyed two & two Frigates.’ Also lettered with the publication line: ‘Published 20th October 1798 by Laurie & Whittle 53 Fleet Street, London.’ This print was published by Robert Laurie and James Whittle on 20 October 1798. This was only a few weeks after news of Nelson’s victory at the Nile had reached Britain and the print’s depiction of the explosion of ‘L’Orient’ commemorates the news. (Updated May 2019.)

Object Details

ID: PAG7221
Type: Print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: James Whittle & Richard Holmes Laurie
Date made: 20 Oct 1798
People: Nelson, Horatio
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Sheet: 360 x 255 mm