Title

The Apotheosis of Nelson, c1818. Creator: Pierre Nicolas Legrand.

Caption

The Apotheosis of Nelson, c1818. Admiral Nelson, the British naval hero of the Napoleonic wars, was fatally wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805). In this allegorical scene, Mars, the helmeted god of war, welcomes him onto Mount Olympus, the home of the ancient gods. Nelson's ascent is assisted by Poseidon, god of the seas, and Fame, depicted as a woman with wings, among others. Below, on the ship's deck, Britannia, the female personification of Great Britain, bids farewell to her greatest naval hero. At her feet are one of the Fates and grief-stricken members of the crew. This is a preparatory study for a painting exhibited in Bern (Switzerland) in 1818. It is one of the few surviving works by Legrand, whose career bridged the transition between the Neoclassical and Romantic styles.

Date

Jan 01, 0001

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Reference

HRM23B22_105

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

55,3Mb (1,9Mb) / 13,0in x 16,5in / 3900 x 4960 (300dpi)

Keywords

Europe portrait religious arts country French France religion art romantic continent museum European color Neo-classical deity deities gods God Neptune location century concept hero ascending romanticism heroic Mars poseidon ascent heroism Colour allegory 19th century Britannia allegorical Neoclassical Neoclassicism allegorical figure nineteenth century Neo-Classicism apotheosis artistic movement artistic school winged figure Horatio Nelson Allegory portrait Nelson Horatio Lord Nelson Viscount Nelson Admiral Nelson sea god god of war God of the sea Romantic Era Walters Art Museum Admiral Horatio Nelson Admiral Lord Nelson Heritage Art oil on paper mounted on canvas god of sea 19th-century Pierre Nicolas Legrand Legrand Pierre Nicolas Legrand Pierre-Nicolas