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Captain Horatio Nelson 1781

Publisher Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd (British, 1866 - 1959)

Date1948

Object number00037221

NameChristmas Card

MediumInk on paper

DimensionsOverall: 154 x 120 mm

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionChristmas card with John Francis Rigaud's portrait of Captain Horatio Nelson painted in 1781. The portrait is in the collection of the National Maritime Museum Greenwich, London.HistoryThis portrait was painted in 1781 for presentation by Nelson to Captain William Locker, under whom he had served as a Lieutenant in HMS LOWESTOFFE. In a letter dated from Bath on 21 February 1781, Nelson wrote of the picture, "It will not be in the least like what I am now, that is certain". This remark, combined with the youthful appearance of the portrait and Nelson's bad health on his return from the West Indies in 1780, suggests that he had given sittings to the artist before leaving England in 1777. The background is believed to represent Fort San Juan in Central America.SignificanceNelson is one of the most famous of naval heroes in any navy across the world. He remains legendary long after his death in 1805.