The most revered of all British naval commanders, Nelson’s strategic acumen and charismatic leadership were the key to British supremacy on the seas during the Napoleonic Wars. Born on 29 September, 1758 in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, he joined the Royal Navy at just 12 years of age, and rose rapidly through the ranks. Nelson’s fame rests on a series of remarkable naval victories: the Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1797) in which Nelson’s bold actions were crucial in British victory over the Spanish fleet, the Battle of the Nile (1798) which secured British dominance over the French in the Mediterranean, the Battle of Copenhagen (1801), where Nelson played a pivotal role in defeating the Danish fleet, and of course the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), the most famous of his victories, which resulted in the complete destruction of the combined French and Spanish fleets. Nelson’s conspicuous bravery and tactical ingenuity brought an outright British victory, but tragically at the cost of his own life.

Nelson was given a remarkable state funeral and was buried in St. Pauls Cathedral, London. Amongst the many monuments erected in his honour is the iconic Nelson’s Column, in Trafalgar Square. Commemorative souvenirs were issued both during his life and in the immediate aftermath of his death, and indeed throughout the 19^th and early 20^th century. The 39 lots in our 24 July auction relating to this topic of British history include sculpted and cast busts, printed portraits, miniatures and other objects originating primarily from one long-standing private collection together with a number of other privately owned pieces.

 

 

Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). A white marble half bust after Franz Thaller and Matthias Ranson, early 19th century, a fine half bust modelled as Nelson with his head turned slightly to the left, in naval dress with two medals engraved 'Trafalgar' and 'Nelson' and classical drapery, mounted on a socle, unsigned, 68 cm high, the nose restored, and several small chips to edges and to the Nelson medal, presented on a modern classical composite wood pedestal.

While in Vienna in 1800, Vice-Admiral Nelson commissioned a portrait bust of himself from the Austrian sculptor Franz Christian Thaller (1759-1817). Thaller was assisted by Matthias Ranson, who also took a cast of Nelson's face, from which the sculpture was finished after his departure. The work was completed in 1801 and shipped to England, where it was kept at Merton by Lady Hamilton. This work became the most widely reproduced sculpted image of Nelson, especially following the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807, and a number of other contemporary or near-contemporary versions exist, including by Nollekens and Turnerelli. The original is now on display at the National Maritime Museum along with the plaster cast. Only a small number of period marble busts of this type are known to exist.

Estimate: £15,000-20,000