New portrait of Lord Nelson to go on display in St Paul's

The first display of a new portrait of Admiral Lord Nelson is to be in the chamber where he is interred.

The new Nelson Portrait, created by artists Adrian Purkis and Alan Suttie, the first ever in triptych form, will be on public view from Monday 30 April in St Paul’s Crypt.

The portrait depicts Nelson circa 1800 when he was world weary, visibly scarred and only very slowly recovering from his many painful battle wounds. He had recently been created Duke of Bronte by a grateful King of Naples, hence the signature ‘Bronte Nelson on the Nile’.

Created in close collaboration with, amongst others, the late Dr. Colin White, renowned world Nelson expert, author and esteemed Director of the Royal Naval Museum Portsmouth, the portrait carries Colin’s signature and that of Anna Tribe OBE, great, great, great granddaughter of Nelson.

With the backing of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, the triptych has also received the personal endorsement of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Artist Alan Suttie said: "The principal purpose of the first public display of the portrait in St. Paul’s Cathedral is to raise the profile of HMS Victory and that of the Save the Victory Fund charity, administered for over 90 years by the Society for Nautical Research and created to assist in the ‘Maintenance, Upkeep and Presentation to the public of HMS Victory' - an increasingly challenging task in these times of financial extremis."

Limited edition prints of the portrait are available to banks, companies, societies, institutions and individuals. Admiral Sir Kenneth Eaton SNR Chairman and the Commander incumbent of HMS Victory will each personally sign individual prints. Approximately 75% of sale profits will benefit the Save the Victory Fund charity. Please see www.nelsonportrait.co.uk for details or phone Alan Suttie 0208 640 7626.

USEFUL LINKS
Society for Nautical Research
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (Wiki)