| Portrait of Horatio Nelson | |
| Artist: | William Beechey |
| Year: | 1801 |
| Type: | Oil on canvas, portrait painting |
| Height Metric: | 261.4 |
| Width Metric: | 182.6 |
| Metric Unit: | cm |
| Imperial Unit: | in |
| Museum: | St Andrews' Hall |
| City: | Norwich |
Portrait of Horatio Nelson is an 1801 full-length portrait of the British admiral Horatio Nelson by the English artist William Beechey.[1] It depicts Nelson in the full dress uniform of Rear Admiral.
It was commissioned by the Corporation of the City of Norwich, the capital of Nelson's native county Norfolk. It cost £210.[2] It depicts Nelson following his triumph at the Battle of the Nile, in the period he was Britain's most famous living admiral. Four years later he was killed during his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.
It was exhibited at the Spring Exhibition of the Royal Academy in Somerset House from April 1801. Copies were ordered by the City of London and the Drapers' Company. The original work today hangs in Norwich's St Andrew's Hall.[3]
The sketch portrait made in preparation for the larger work by Beechey still survives and is today one of the better known images of the Admiral. It was acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in 1985.[4]