Post-Revolutionary War to Civil War
Brittannia Lamenting the Death of Lord Horatio Nelson
1805-Dated, Handpainted Reverse Print on Glass of Brittannia Lamenting the Death of Lord Nelson, Framed, Very Fine.
Lord Horatio Nelson (born September 29, 1758, Norfolk, England - died October 21, 1805, at sea, off Cape Trafalgar, Spain). Colorful Reverse Print on Glass of "Brittannia Lamenting the Death of Admiral Lord Nelson", inscribed below: "London Pub. Dec. 5. 1805, by W.B. Waker, Fox & Knot Co., Snow Hill." Image size measures about 9 1/2" x 7 1/4" (by sight) and in its original black painted with decorative beaded borders Wood Frame to fully 11" x 9" with its original Glass intact. Its original ebonized frame with trivial conserved chips, the early glass with period bubbles having one very minor edge crack at the upper right corner. The hand-colored image of Brittannia with her arm on monument with a large oval central portrait of Nelson, is in very nice condition.
Death of Lord Horatio Nelson:
One of the greatest sea battles in British history and gave birth to a legend. Off the coast of Spain's Cape Trafalgar Peninsula, the British Fleet, led by Lord Horatio Nelson, took on a combined French and Spanish force to determine who would be the master of the waves.
England's very existence was at stake for France's Napoleon Bonaparte was poised to send his powerful army across the English Channel to conquer the island. The only obstacle standing in his way was the British fleet.
The battle commenced on October 21, 1805 with Nelson's famous words signaled to his fleet: "England expects that every man will do his duty." Nelson had devised an unorthodox battle plan that called for his ships to attack the enemy broadside in two parallel lines, break into the enemy's formation and blast his opponents at close quarters.
As Nelson watched from the deck of the HMS Victory the battle soon turned into a confused melee of combat between individual ships. The fighting was at such close quarters that the Victory became entangled with the French ship Redoubtable. Locked together in a deadly ballet, each ship blasted its enemy at point-blank range. From his perch in the upper rigging of the Redoubtable, a French sharpshooter took aim at a prized target on the deck of the Victory, fired and sent a musket ball into Nelson's left shoulder.
Continuing its journey, the bullet tore a path through the Admiral's upper body before smashing into his lower back. It was a mortal wound.
Lord Nelson was carried below decks while the battle raged on. He lived long enough to hear the news of the Redoubtable's surrender and of his fleet's victory after four and one-half hours of combat.