Captain Horatio Nelson

Nelson's most famous victory was at the Battle of Trafalgar where he defeated the combined Spanish and French fleet which ended Napoleon's last hopes of invading Britain. Nelson's death during the battle helped cement his iconic status in Britain. A native of Turin, Rigaud trained in Italy and came from Rome to London with James Barry in 1771. Begun in 1777, when Nelson was a lieutenant, but not finished until 1781 or possibly slightly later (since it shows uniform to which Nelson would only have become entitled after three years seniority as a captain in June 1782), the portrait is one of a group of three painted for William Locker of officers who had served under him, the other two being Captain Pole and Captain Peacock.
Artist: John Francis Rigaud
Date: 1781
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