The Battle of Trafalgar: Commemoration and Controversy

Joseph Mallord William Turner’s The Batt le of Trafalgar is one of the most famous and recognisable paintings in the collection of the National Maritime Museum. Published to coincide with the 250th anniversary of Turner’s birth and 220 years aft er the batt le for which this monumental work is named, the book situates the painting alongside plans, sketches and artefacts from the National Maritime Museum’s collection and examines Turner’s contribution to maritime art and to Nelson’s complicated legacy. The Batt le of Trafalgar was the only work Turner made ‘by royal command’ and the largest he painted. Although best remembered as an unconventional artist, with this commission Turner was tasked with producing a patriotic painting to adorn the halls of power. On completion, the piece was the subject of intense scrutiny, att racting criticism for perceived historical inaccuracies in the representation of the batt le. Yet it remains a powerful artwork, which combines a celebration of maritime victory with a tribute to national a hero, an ode to ordinary sailors and a meditation on the horrors of war. Three chapters consider: the artist and the batt le; the commissioning of the work, Turner’s artistic process and specifi c elements and events within the fi nished piece; and the response to the work, including its display in the National Gallery of Naval Art at Greenwich Hospital.