The Battle of Trafalgar (Turner)

It was commissioned by King George IV as a part of a series of works to decorate three state reception rooms in St James's Palace and link the Hanoverian dynasty with military success.

[1] This work was Turner's only royal commission, and was to stand as the pendant piece to Philippe-Jacques de Loutherbourg's Lord Howe's action, or the Glorious First of June.

This reflected the role of the history painting and the artist by demonstrating the virtue of the hero, Lord Nelson, to the entire nation.

[6] The realism of the scene is visible in the flags of the masts, which deliver part of the famous message England expects that every man will do his duty...

Turner made several sketches immediately after the battle, careful studies of the ships and their rigging, and close details of the uniforms.

[7] The Second Sketch for ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’ moves away from this traditional style and more closely resembles his final product with a more organized chaos via the build-up of clouds and people in the foreground.

[8] While the subject of the piece is evident, there are elements of ambiguity suggesting the sublime, the dissolution of space via strokes of pure paint, and the symmetry between human and natural forces.