"Nelson's flagship, Victory, looms larger than life at the centre of the composition, symbolising British naval supremacy rather than the precise realities of combat. Across its rigging, the signal flags spell out the final three letters of "duty", a deliberate nod both to Nelson's immortal command - "England expects every man to do his duty" - and his dying words: "Thank God I have done my duty.""
"Nevertheless, when it was moved in 1829 to the Naval Gallery in Greenwich, the public embraced it, and it soon became one of the collection's most admired works. After being removed from display 18 months ago to protect it during building works at the National Maritime Museum, The Battle of Trafalgar will make its long-awaited return on 21 October 2025 - exactly 220 years after the battle itself."
The Battle of Trafalgar is a three-metre canvas and the largest painting Turner completed. Commissioned by King George IV in 1824, it commemorates Admiral Nelson’s 21 October 1805 victory over France and Spain at Cape Trafalgar. Turner reconstructed the scene from eyewitness reports, blending patriotic storytelling with imaginative liberty: Victory dominates the centre and signal flags reference "duty" and Nelson’s dying words. A fallen sailor at eye level underscores the human cost of the battle. After criticism from naval officials it was embraced by the public following a 1829 move to Greenwich; removed from display 18 months ago for museum works, it will return on 21 October 2025.
Read at ianVisits
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]