Lot 1736
ATTRIBUTED TO SAMUEL DRUMMOND (1765-1844)
THE DEATH OF NELSON
Oil on canvas
52 x 62cm.
* Probably an autograph variant of Drummond's celebrated composition, of which the earliest version was his Royal Academy exhibit in 1806 (no.505), described as `Sketch for a death of Lord Nelson` (now believed to be the work in the Government Art Collection, no.14966, which measures 58 x 74cm). A number of further versions are recorded amending the format and the peripheral details; these range in size from about 60 x 71cm up to 112 x 139cm.
This particular variant was engraved in mezzotint by William Thomas Annis in c.1815 (60 x 70cm).
With a certain amount of dramatic licence, Drummond has captured the moment at about 1pm on October 21st 1805 when a French sniper on the Redoubtable shot Nelson through the left shoulder from a range of about fifty feet. The officer just to the right of centre calls Nelson's attention to the tricouleur. In other versions, the Union flag is also shown above the French flag, indicating that a ship over the port quarter, possibly the French flagship Bucentaure, had surrendered and was in the hands of a prize crew. The gesture thereby serves to show that Nelson knew that victory had been secured before he died.
The fatal bullet passed through Nelson's spine and lodged in the right shoulder blade in the muscles of his back. Drummond has painted a spot of red upon the right side of Nelson's chest where he had not, in fact, received a wound. Hardy is shown at his side: as he fell, Nelson said,"Hardy, I do believe they have done it at last .. my backbone is shot through." Nelson died below decks at about 4.30pm. The four hour funeral on January 9th 1806 drove the nation into deep grief and Drummond anticipated correctly the interest that such a momentous subject would attract at the Academy a few months later.
Provenance: Private collection, Somerset
