Only a month after Trafalgar, on 22 November, a press advert by the publisher Josiah Boydell announced he would give a prize of 500 guineas for the best "Death of Nelson" painting, which he would then engrave. Devis and Benjamin West were the two most notable entrants. Devis was released from debtors' prison to produce such a painting, in order to pay off his debts, and – possibly with the help of Alexander Davison – was allowed to spend a week on board off Portsmouth after her return from Trafalgar. There he made sketches, a model of the place Nelson died, notes and studies for the individual portrait heads, as well as a separate portrait of Dr Beatty. Beatty also commissioned Devis to produce a half-length painting of Nelson as vice-admiral from the autopsy sketches, which he lent to Emma Hamilton, and illustrations for his Narratives.
Reception
West criticised Devis's treatment, which was in contrast to West's own "Epic Composition", also titled The Death of Nelson. However, it was Devis's work that won Boydell's commission, though it was only printed in 1812 despite having already gained 800 subscribers by August 1806 and despite the chosen engraver, William Bromley, having promised to have it done in two years from December 1806. West's painting had made it to print by 1811 and the two had equally great success in the short term, though the Naval Gallery refused to buy Devis's painting from Boydell. However, Devis's was purchased by Nicholas Vansittart, Lord Bexley, who in 1825 presented it to the Naval Gallery, from which point onwards it became the better known of the two works. Devis’s large oil sketch for it was bought in 1852 by Queen Victoria, from 1892 or earlier to 1992 a waxwork tableau at Madame Tussaud’s reproduced the painting, a smaller copy was placed near Nelson's place of death during restoration of Victory in the 1920s, and the original was placed as the Painted Hall’s central painting by the late 19th century. In this position, it was at the heart of the Hall's role as a major Nelsonic and naval shrine.
Accuracy and iconography
As with its model, Benjamin West’s 1777 The Death of General Wolfe, this painting takes liberties with the actual setting and people present. The place of death on the ’tween-deck was actually far shorter than depicted, and Captain Thomas Hardy was not present at the moment of death. The grouping, with Nelson's posture against a large timber of the ship's hull and role as the main light source in an otherwise dark painting, recalls the Deposition of Christ from the cross.
Persons depicted
Revd Alexander Scott, Nelson's chaplain, rubbing his chest to help relieve the pain
Victorys purser Walter Burke, supporting the pillow.
Nelson’s steward, Chevalier, looking towards Beatty
William Beatty, ship's surgeon, who feels Nelson’s pulse and is about to pronounce him dead
