Nelson & His World

I noticed earlier, on the front page of one of the daily newspapers, that Harry Styles has just had a new tattoo - of a wooden ship-of-the-line.



For any of you who are not au fait with Mr Styles - he is a MAJOR player in the current pop world. A tabloid favourite. Fans across the globe.

So don't be surprised if overnight there are a million new converts to the story of Nelson and the Age of Fighting Sail.

O.K. I'll go and have a lie down in a dark room!

MB

Damn it... I wanted a tattoo similar to that, but now everyone will just think I'm a One Direction fangirl

Still, if your prediction is correct and there are many new converts to our love of Nelson etc, then I suppose it's almost worth it. Almost.

(mind you, I also wanted one of Nelson himself, but my other half forbade it )

Mark,

I think you might need to go and lie down in your dark room again! Not only is it a ship-of-the-line, but I think it is actually the Victory. Something rang a bell and I believe the design is taken from Pocock's composite painting of 1807, depicting all of Nelson's flagships. The Victory is on the right, and the position of the ship and the yards and sails, is similar that depicted on the young man's arm. Have a look and see what you think.

Vicki, if that doesn't convince you into the tattoing line I don't know what will!

Er, sorry but who's Harry Styles?

I think you're right there. I love that painting.

But I had a quick google and unfortunately the tattoo seems to be being reported as a pirate ship. *facepalm*

Kester

You are VERY observant. Like Vicki I am a fan of the Pocock painting but I hadn't made that connection.

There is no mistake - all the sails, flags etc. identical.



Mark

P.S. Here is Harry (in the middle) with his One Direction pals. They are going down a storm in America which I find amazing - with the number of lookalikes there must be over there. But with Simon Cowell pulling the strings I suppose nothing should surprise me!!

Vicki,

A pirate ship?!

Mark,

I think I've just spotted something else.

The dark 'blob', to the left on Harry's tattoo and seemingly above the Victory's lowered fore topsail, looks to me as if it's actually the flag on the ship behind the Victory's bow in the painting, which I think is the Captain. So it's not actually part of the Victory at all! Now, is that weird or what?

Thanks for the info on One Direction, and I did look them up! They look a good set of lads, and I'm sure Nelson would have thought so as well.

Kester

You are quite right - somebody has misinterpreted that flag as belonging to Victory. Whereas it is definitely on the ship behind.

I wonder how tattooists work. I am guessing that an artist creates a transfer that is applied to the skin and then the tattooist works to that design.

Or is any part of a tattoo actually done freehand? I would have thought that would be extremely risky as there is not much scope for correcting more serious errors!!

MB

Correct terminology please Vicki.

One Direction fans are called "Directioners".

Should I really know this stuff??!!

MB

Yes, they do a transfer of an outline of the image from a sort of tracing paper, onto the skin (in my experience, the artist might have an assistant or protege to trace out the image for them). Then you can check it's in the right position, size, etc. The shading is done more or less freehand once the outline is done. I have a couple of tattoos, but want to add a Nelson-related one to them



Thankyou for correcting me! Are you a 'Directioner' yourself?

Oh no! What have I let myself in for here??!!

In fact my teenage years were the 1960's so I'm not exactly up on the current pop charts. But no matter where you go in the media at the moment it's hard to avoid Harry and One Direction. Hence his new tattoo warranting a front page splash in a national newspaper!

I did see the other day that they are being described as the "third British invasion" of the U.S. charts - following on from the Beatles etc. in the mid 60's and the New Romantics etc. in the 80's. I don't know if they really are that big. I guess only time will tell.

If I can find time later I am going to go digging in my photo/image archive for the Nelson tattoo to end all Nelson tattoos!! I came across it years ago and it did get an airing on the old Nelson and his Navy forum.

Be prepared to be shocked . . . . . . . . . .

MB

Well here it is!!

I wish I could have contacted this guy and asked him what motivated him to have the tattoo done. As you can see it is based on the Battle of the Nile - not even Trafalgar.



Vicki - I hope this inspires you!!

If I were you I would start small. Maybe go for the Nelson portrait at the nape of your neck. And then you could sneak on extra bits until bingo! - something like this!!



MB

Crikey! However, I think even Nelson's seamen would have baulked at that!

Obviously from the well-known painting by, I think, George Arnald and showing L'Orient blowing up.

Oh, and Vicki – don't do it!

Wow! That is one dedicated Nelsonite. It must have taken hours to do. Is that Admiral Brueys at the bottom? Not sure I'd want him as part of my tattoo! And Nelson's badges are on the wrong side.

The problem with having a tattoo like that on your back, though, is that you can't see it yourself But I could get a Nelson portrait (Hoppner's oil sketch is my favourite) on my shoulder with an exploding Orient a little further down my arm... and there's a painting of Victory at Trafalgar that I like, so maybe that on the other shoulder... hmmm...

You are a bad influence, Mark!

Oh help . . . . . . I was only joking . . . . . . honest!!

One thing I should have mentioned is that the chap with the "Nile" tattoo was from Australia. I remember thinking at the time (several years ago) that I should try and contact him. But I guess other things must have got in the way and I never got round to it. That's a shame.

MB