Nelson & His World

Discussion on the life and times of Admiral Lord Nelson
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 Post subject: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 4:46 pm 
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I commented on another thread that Thomas Davidson was probably second only to Fred Roe in producing paintings depicting episodes from Nelson's life.

There may only be half a dozen or so but I thought it might be interesting to list them.

I'm dashing out now - but I give you for starters "Nelson's Last Signal at Trafalgar."

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:27 pm 
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Here's a link to another image of Nelson at Copenhagen. This one is in the NMM Picture Library.It is titled 'On Hostile Ground' and depicts Nelson as he lands in the city after the battle. It's a chromolithograph by Davidson published by Eyre & Spottiswood.


http://www.nmmimages.com/?service=searc ... copenhagen

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:55 pm 
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Not Nelson's life - but Nelson-related.

England's Pride & Glory.

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:30 pm 
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And another at Copenhagen: Nelson sealing his historic message at Copenhagen, 1801

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:34 pm 
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The start of Nelson's career: 'Nelson's First Footing in the Navy, Chatham', 1771

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 11:41 pm 
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Tony

I am sure I have never seen that one of the young Nelson before. You would have thought it would have been reproduced in a book somewhere along the line. But off the top of my head I don't recall it.

I think that is 6 already which I thought might be our target.

There is at least one more which is an imaginary view of the first meeting of Nelson and Emma. That one I am sure I have seen. But I can't track down a copy on the www.

If it's in any of my books I will do a scan and upload.

As an aside I wonder if Davidson's paintings were generally done as one-offs for sale. Or if they were commissioned as book illustrations.

Definitely "On Hostile Ground" was used as the frontispiece of "Nelson and his Times." But I wonder about the others.

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:35 am 
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Mark:

I had a quick look at abebooks re: Beresford's book. There are numerous editions for sale. It would appear that the book was first printed by Eyre & Spottiswood but published by Harmsworth. Its big attraction was that it was profusely illustrated with a 'chromolithographed frontispiece, very numerous monochrome illustrations, maps, portraits, facsimiles etc.' but doesn't mention Davidson's name. Chromolithographs were usually produced with lage volume sales in mind, either in books or for framing, so maybe these were special commissions.

Interestingly, the book was first published as a ten part series - one of this edition is available on abebooks, still in its original wrappers. 'On Hostile Ground' appears in full colour in part 4.

I shall have to buy a copy now to satisfy my curiosity.

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:41 am 
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After the comments about the pile of dirty crockery on the deck in 'Before Copenhagen', notice the disgraceful heap of tangled rope on the deck in the foreground of 'Nelson's first footing'. What was the Navy coming too? :shock:

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:44 am 
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Well, St Vincent said 'Nelson's ships were always in the most dreadful disorder'. Maybe he learned bad habits early!

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:51 am 
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Mark, from the NMM:
Quote:
See also ‘Nelson's Last Signal at Trafalgar. England expects that every man will do his duty’, PAI8286 and PAI8287. The artist produced several other paintings relating to Nelson, ‘The First Meeting of Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson’, 1886, and ‘Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen’ in 1897.

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:12 am 
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Tony,

Thanks for adding two Davidson pictures I have not seen before. I would agree with your opinions in Nelson's First Footing, that the unseamanlike tangle of rope in the foreground would certainly not have passed muster with the average first lieutenant, let alone the captain! Again, as with the plates on the Elephant, it seems as though it may have been a way of putting in additional detail, but in doing so it seems as though the artist has inadvertantly made a blunder – or has he? At the time, the Raisonnable was getting ready to sail for the Faulklands, in light of the Spanish threat (but which was resolved) so I can well imagine that the ship was not in her usual orderly state. Actually, apart from this, there are a few things about this painting which make me question Davidson's nautical knowledge. The gunport, for example, appears to be overlarge, although one wonders again was this another ploy to enable the men overside to be seen the better. There is also something definitely wrong with the shrouds to the right. Similarly, some of the costume seems to be from an earlier period, eg, the seaman (bosun?) on the left might just have come from the navy of Charles ll. Would he actually be wearing buckled shoes?

Davidson would also have very likely reflected what was then 'common knowledge', as illustrated by the picture's title, in depicting Nelson boarding the Raisonnable at Chatham Dockyard. However, even though I am sure many still think that, I believe it has now been established that it was more likely to have been Sheerness?

Mark,

Your first picture, 'Nelson's Last Signal at Trafalgar', is of course well-known, but a few years ago I had reason to question it and did some research. This was prompted by a reproduction of the painting on a Christmas card from the Nelson Society, which was sent to me by a member, and in which the colours were in many respects different. The first thing I noticed was that the officer's trousers were a rather 'natty', and surprising, shade of buff - much as in Davidson's picture 'On Hostile ground'. Then I saw that the coat colour of the Marine officer to the right was its proper colour, red, and not blue as in the picture you posted and as I have it in a couple of books.

Lastly, and perhaps most interestingly, the some of the flags being hoisted and those lying on deck, were different colours and designs. I then noted that the men in the background were cheering Nelson's signal and became curious as to the flags being hoisted. Due to the cheering the men must have understood the message, so it seemed likely that the particular hoist being made was towards the end, if not the last hoist, of the signal. I then checked with Popham's code and the flags didn't match with any of the hoists! Subsequently I then read, in I believe the Nelson Companion, that up until about 1908 the Victory had been using the wrong code book when hoisting the signal on Trafalgar Day. Quite when this began I don't know, but it would seem as though she had been flying the incorrect flags for some years, before somebody noticed they weren't from Popham's code! I don't have the book with me at the moment (perhaps somebody could check) but there is a picture of the stern of Victory painted around that period, and with the (wrong) code depicted in a circular border. I seem to remember that the last hoist for 'duty' depicts the same flags as in Davidson's painting. So, to his mind he was right, even though the flags were wrong!

I do wonder, however, how the colours in the painting became altered. Had it not been for that card, I may not have noticed anything wrong!

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:17 pm 
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Kester

Very interesting research. It seems that in Davidson's paintings the "romance" of the subject can sometimes allow the odd factual inaccuracy to creep in.

I am sure that his paintings are not to everyone's taste - but to me they suit that late Victorian era brilliantly.

If I could get a set of prints, in colour, I would love to have them all displayed together on a wall.

Likewise the paintings of Fred Roe. I'll have to start a thread about him in the near future.

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:46 pm 
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Devenish wrote:
Due to the cheering the men must have understood the message, so it seemed likely that the particular hoist being made was towards the end, if not the last hoist, of the signal.
Kester, I rather doubt that the seamen knew many of the signals from the Popham code off by heart, especially, as you point out, the code book was regularly changed. Isn't it more likely that someone had already told them what signal was being hoisted?

And isn't the title of the painting another blunder? Nelson's last signal was number 16 - 'Engage the enemy more closely'.

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:24 pm 
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Here is the signal using the flags from the wrong code book (1799-1803): http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/3430349

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 Post subject: Re: Thomas Davidson's Nelson paintings
PostPosted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 4:12 pm 
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Tony,

Thanks for posting the signal from the wrong book. From that it would seem that, as I thought, Davidson has depicted the seamen as hoisting the final 'Y' of duty, so correct as he saw it - and apparently to the navy of his time, to whom I feel sure he must have applied for details of the signal. This doesn't of course explain how the colours of the painting came to be altered.

You are right on both counts, re. the men's understanding of the signal. I also feel sure that some of the seamen were also cheering because the others were and did not know what they were cheering about. However word would soon have spread on each ship, probably initially from the captain, but equally possibly from the men dealing with the signals.

You are quite right too, about Nelson's last signal in reality being No. 16!

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