"Notably unromantic portrait of Admiral Nelson found" Topic

"A portrait of Admiral Horatio Nelson depicting his war wounds in all their unvarnished glory has been rediscovered after 100 years out of public view and knowledge in private collections. It will go on display at Philip Mould & Company's Pall Mall gallery starting November 13th. To celebrate its return, it will be displayed next to meticulous replicas of the fanciest accessories depicted in the painting: Admiral Nelson's iconic bicorne hat, recreated according to his precise instructions Lock & Co. Hatters of St James's who made the original hat by Nelson's commission, and the still-lost Chelengk jewel very conspicuously pinned to the front of the hat in the portrait.

It was painted in 1799 by Leonardo Guzzardi, an artist at the court of Queen Maria Carolina and King Ferdinand of Naples and Sicily. Maria Carolina, 13th child of the formidable Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I of Austria, sister to Marie Antoinette of France, was a great patron of the arts and had a particular fangirl admiration for Admiral Nelson. She herself may have commissioned Guzzardi to capture Nelson's likeness when the hero, painter and monarchs were in Palermo after their majesties' hasty departure from Naples with French troops hot on their heels. It wouldn't be the first time she'd sought a portrait of the admiral. Earlier in Naples she had told her son she'd have a portrait painted of Nelson so he could stand under it every day and say "Dear Nelson, teach…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Artists were…………inconsistent. Unreliable.

Goya's Wellington looks absolutely nothing remotely like him. Best thing ever was when Dr No pinched it and I do wish 007 had left it there. Until the recent trilogy on Waterloo from Osprey, which reproduced that bizarre look, when talking to Blucher and Gneisenau, I felt sure this was a once off aberration. He looks like a Millwall fan….

If artists erred it was usually in flattering their subjects. After all the artists did want to be paid and not banished or thrown into a dungeon, a possibility when dealing with royalty. Goya was exceptional in this and I often wonder how he ever got away with such unflattering portraits. I would trust Goya more.

I would totally agree that his portraits are warts and all…even of nobility and royalty.

But his DoW. There are countless portraits of him (and even a "photograph" in his advanced years) and he is surely as recognisable as Boney himself in all….with the exception of Goya's image

Maybe Goya had a relative killed at St Vincent ;)

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Thanks Armand, fascinating!

A votre service mon ami!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand