‘Nelson & Trafalgar’, maritime paintings, an overview with links individual paintings.
Unique; these ‘Nelson & Trafalgar’ paintings are a series with its beginning as I was honoured to become the ‘Official Artist’ for HMS Victory to raise funds for HMS Victory’s renovation to her 1805 ‘Trafalgar’ condition.
In new Europe that needs heroes, we can certainly recommend Nelson as he makes a splendid role model for young people.
Nelson and Trafalgar’ series, these paintings are yet to be exhibited in public, although several are reproduced in books and these paintings are well known via the Internet.
Many distinguished people and renowned companies have chosen Frickers paintings as you can discover by reading my illustrated résumée.
Painting as a commission for a leading historian, Drachinifel.
"Trafalgar, HMS Victory Breaking the Line.", 81 x 51 cm (32" x 20"), Commissioned for a new video about Nelson and for the home of the distinguished naval historiographer Drachinifel..
You too could own a painting of this quality, contact me now !
"Nelson and Minerve", 91 x 46 cm (36" x 18"), £25,000.
Nelson’s voyage in the ‘Minerve’ is overlooked by most authors, and yet a young Nelson significantly demonstrates his style and power of leadership during the voyage.
Sold to Mr. T. Maltin who said “at last I have a real painting in my house”.
Nelson boarded the frigate HMS Minerve to sail on a very remarkable voyage resulting in his raising from ‘famous’ to a national hero and his promotion to Admiral.
You could own one of these remarkable paintings created by Gordon Frickers, Official Artist to HMS Victory from 1993 for the preparations for the 200th anniversary of Trafalgar
"Nelson’s Four Frigates", 92 x 51 cm (36" x 20"), £14,000.
Of the frigates shown in this painting Nelson commanded all four and there hangs an intriguing story.
You can buy with instalments if that helps you.
After this incident Nelson gave us a demonstration of his leadership and why he still generates so much admiration and love.
Special paintings, some of the most well known and valuable paintings I have created are in this series.
"Trafalgar, First Shots", 122 x 76 cm (48" x 30"), £18,000.
“First Shots, Trafalgar” is as fresh with salt spray and the reverberation of cannons today when I created this painting in 1994/5.
This painting ‘First Shots’ is the only painting that accurately shows the scene as described in official reports and ship’s log books.
Trafalgar, ‘First Shots’ was inspired in discussion with my distinguished college and friend, the Keeper and Curator of HMS Victory, author of 17 naval books, Mr. Peter Goodwin when he first discovered the original HMS Victory Trafalgar Fore topsail.
"Trafalgar, HMS Pickle, First With News", 122 x 76 cm (48" x 30"), £18,000.
Trafalgar Despatch, HMS Pickle a dramatic maritime painting showing Pickle as she raced to be narrowly First to the King.
"I have Urgent Dispatches", 91 x 63 cm (36" x 25"), £18,000. Also available as a print from our print page.
Trafalgar, HMS Pickle signalling “I have Urgent Dispatches”, this is a race, this is not yachting.
Special Paintings
This painting ‘I Have Urgent Dispatches’, is widely considered to be the definitive image of the famous schooner HMS Pickle, reproduced in several authoritative maritime books and is available to buy.
One of my followers aptly wrote of my paintings, “you get a front row seat to history” and these paintings are in most instances, as near truth, as near ‘documentary’, as meticulous, diligent research and fine art can get.
Paintings of the Nelson and the Trafalgar period are one of my specialist subjects for which I still occasionally produce new paintings so book mark this page for updates !
Paintings shown here represent a once in a lifetime great adventure that took me to many archives in England, France and Spain.
HMS Pickle
Paintings about communication, a comparison between then and now, this most famous of all schooners with it’s unlikely name achieved immortality by racing with the Official Dispatches for the Admiralty and the King in London.
HMS Pickle, two details from ‘I Have Urgent Dispatches’.
Trafalgar Messenger
"Trafalgar Messenger, HMS Pickle", 61 x 46 cm (24" x 18"), £2,475.
Trafalgar Dispatch is a Gordon Frickers marine painting of HMS Pickle, in Mounts Bay in close proximity to three Cornish fishing boats.
The papers said she’d gone to Nelson. Pickle returned, what news does she carry ?
Let’s ‘speak her’.
As the first news of Trafalgar reached Cornwall this epic news simultaneously created the legend represented by this fine painting.
The Trafalgar Way
"The Trafalgar Way", 62 x 48 cm (24½" x 19"), £2,590.
The Trafalgar Way begins, the dramatic race continues. HMS Pickle arrives off Falmouth, Cornwall.
A very original painting 62 x 48 cm (24.5″ x 19″), 2,590 £
The Trafalgar Way begins here in the lee of Pendennis castle, off Falmouth with HM Schooner Pickle hove to after her heroic race to England while her commander Lieutenant Lapenotiere is rowed ashore to begin his epic dash to London with the Trafalgar Dispatches.
Surprise !
"Hermione, Surprise !", 120 x 76 cm (47" x 30"), £3,775.
Hermione paintings, the frigate of Lafayette, the frigate of Liberty !
Many distinguished people and renowned companies have chosen Frickers paintings as you can discover by reading my illustrated résumée.
"“Trafalgar Dawn”", 122 x 30 cm (48" x 12"), Sold to a private (Dutch) collector. Available as a print from our print page.
"Trafalgar Dawn, French Perspective", 122 x 30 cm (48" x 12"), £15,000. Also available as a print from our print page.
Trafalgar myths, legend and propaganda tell us the men of France and Spain were surprised by Nelson at Trafalgar, not true and they fought with remarkable bravery, behaving with great gallantry after.
"Nelson & Racehorse", 100 x 75 cm (39½" x 29½"), £8,000.
Racehorse, painting, as interpreted from the log book of the day of Racehorse, and from Admiralty drawings, a ‘Nelson’ painting closely supervised by the legendary authority Peter Goodwin with further advice from Captain Frank Scott, square rig master, grandson of “Scott of the Antarctic”.
Painted as a key illustration for the book by Mr. Peter Goodwin.
A juvenile Horatio Nelson ‘blagged’ a place on the Royal Navy’s first and very carefully prepared Arctic expedition, an event that taught Nelson much about leadership as described in the splendid book “Nelson’s Arctic Voyage” by Peter Goodwin.
Fake news ?
A British blunder caused Spain to ally with Napoleonic France.
"Treasure Ships, Frigates", 46 x 30 cm (18" x 12"), £6,000.
On course for Trafalgar, intelligence believed by the British Government who sent 4 British Royal Navy frigates to arrest 2 Royal Spanish Navy frigates.
A little know, dramatic and very significant frigate sea fight which had a profound influence bringing Spain and it’s formidable navy into the Napoleonic wars allied to France.
Behind this frigate action painting is ‘false intelligence’, espionage, misinformation, fake news, tragedy, news sent by the usually reliable British spies to London.
"Nelson’s Column", 122 x 35 cm (48" x 14"), £12,000.
Trafalgar morning, Nelson’s column, a classic sight from the age of fighting sail. A beautifully balanced very detailed painting
"“The Death of Nelson, a French marksman’s view”", 122 x 76 cm (48" x 30"), price upon application.
A scene crucial to the story of Nelson, a preparatory sketch in oil for The Nelson and Trafalgar Collection.
Available soon.
Nelson had a considerable sense of destiny, knew Trafalgar would be the last really decisive naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars
The Prints :
Some of this Nelson and Trafalgar paintings series is available as a fine art PRINT on canvas from £187.
“Hermione”
Nelson as a young sea officer saw considerable active service during the American War of Independence.
"Hermione, Frégate", 122 x 76 cm (48" x 30"), £12,000.
Hermione, a painting, the frigate that changed history, the frigate of le Marquis de Lafayette who said, “So that freedom lives, men will always have to stand up and fight against indifference and resignation.
Hermione was the French frigate which transported General Lafayette to the aid of General Washington.
A superb replica is afloat today, built recently at Rochefort sur Mer.
"Frigates, Maidstone v Lion", 91 x 61 cm (36" x 24"), this original fine painting was a private commission.
Nelson and Trafalgar, the brief
My brief in 1993 was to ‘paint some of the less well known but interesting aspects of the stories of Nelson and HMS Victory’.
I became involved with HMS Victory when asked to paint my ‘Nelson and Trafalgar Collection’ which for any artist would represent an unrepeatable life experience.
"“Nelson’s Bright Yellow”", 41 x 28 cm (16" x 11"), £5,000.
Yellow? an order from Nelson to the dockyard at Malta for paints to make a bright yellow paint, a colour he thought looked “more warlike” and which became the ‘signature of his ships including those who sailed with him, his “Band of brothers”.
The story behind and results from “Nelson’s Bright Yellow’ included some extraordinary discoveries that challenged established views regarding the appearance of Nelson’s ships.
I had the great good fortune to have a letter of introduction from Commander Mike Cheshire, HMS Victory‘s Captain at that time.
That letter that opened many other doors, many rare old archives for me as widely dispersed as Liverpool, Plymouth and London in Britain, Brest and Paris in France, Madrid and Cadiz in Spain.
Situations change, a time that witnessed the production of this remarkable series is now its self part of the Nelson and Trafalgar story as is this painting and so you can be by becoming the owner of a painting or paintings in this remarkable series.
"Dockyard 400", 76 x 51 cm (30" x 20"), £12,000.
HMS Victory, this is probably the only late 20th century painting of HMS Victory in her glory, painting made on location and before the ‘modern security fences’ spoiled the visitor view of HMS Victory.
‘Dockyard 400’ was painted on location by special permission, while I was ‘Official Artist’ to HMS Victory.
HMS Victory
When I worked on and for her HMS Victory was magnificently preserved at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Under new management today, alas not as magnificently as in 2005 still worth visiting as is a part of the naval base, ‘Portsmouth Historic Dockyard’ which is open to the public.
Nevertheless, to Visit HMS Victory is to have an experience you will never forget.
A ‘first rate ship of the line’, is the equivalent of only one castle surviving to our time.
By happy chance Victory was also one of the finest, fastest, most sea worthy and most distinguished First Rates ever built.
Battle of Trafalgar
21 st October 1805 caused a key change in European politics and history therefore in our world history.
HMS Victory was the British Flag ship.
Trafalgar confined the world conquering ambitions of Napoleonic France to mainland Europe, caused a frustrated Napoleon to abandon his extensive preparations to invade England with 350.000 troops; thwarted, Napoleon attacked and was defeated by Russia which in turn lead to the battle of Waterloo.
HMS Victory is iconic, she is the only surviving example of a type of 100 + gun war ship that was at one time the pride of the fleets of great nations, the First Rate Ship of the Line of Battle.
Official Artist to HMS Victory
As the Official Artist to HMS Victory, complete with a letter of introduction from her then Captain, Mike Cheshire.
I had the great privilege of access to leading experts and rarely see documents in Britain, France and Spain.
Those collections included British, French and Spanish ship plans and models of the Georgian and Napoleonic period, original documents, journals, letters and mementos.
This story is addressed below and in more detail via the “Further reading” link which appears after the last painting.
This “Trafalgar Collection” results from a unique period when talents and time combined, when I painting as official artist. I had unrestricted access to HMS Victory, the full co operation of her immensely knowledgeable, now legendary ‘Keeper and Curator’ Mister Peter Goodwin, the National Maritime Museum (Greenwich London), the Royal Navy Museum.
"Lord Nelson", 35 x 25 cm (14" x 10"), £1,500.
Painting on location, the Jubilee Sailing Trust, was formed to built a sail training vessel fully equipped for disabled people of all ages. The new ship could only be named after Britain’s most famous disabled sailor, ‘Lord Nelson’.
The Nelson launching, a training ship built specially to give disabled people a chance to sail, in the grand tradition of Britain’s most famous disabled sailor, Horatio Nelson, founder Chris Rudd, became a sound friend. This painting was created on location during the event.
The Jubilee Sailing Trust named their new ship built for able and disabled people after the most famous of disabled sailors.
‘La Recouvrance’
"La Recouvrance, Schooner", 76 x 51 cm (30" x 20"), Sold to private collectors in Brest, Brittany, France who have become dear friends.
Here is an adventure for you ! This magnificent replica privateer schooner is today based at Brest in North West France and it is possible to sail on her.
A typical French privateer of the period, the painting celebrates this superb replica built at Brest where I witnessed La Recouvrance launched 1996 and took photographs that Yachting World published.
It is upon the Navy
“It is upon the Navy under the Providence of God that the safety, honour and welfare of this realm do chiefly depend.”
From the Articles of War (1652) read weekly to all Royal Navy ships crews for 300 years
As a collection these paintings have only been exhibited once, privately, by Rochay Elite who created an exclusive “Trafalgar Soirée” (at the prestigious Army & Navy Club, St James, Pall Mall, London, October 2016).
Nelson and Trafalgar, creating these paintings
This Trafalgar series enabled me to visited, consult and research by appointment among other places in Britain, The Tate Gallery, Maritime Museum Liverpool and office of Sea Breezes magazine, Liverpool, The Liverpool Tate Gallery, The Naval Reference Library Plymouth, Devonport Royal Navy Dockyard, Portsmouth, The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, the Royal Naval Museum Portsmouth.
In France and Spain I visited the Brest and the San Sebastian Naval Bases, Brest Maritime Museum, the National Maritime Museums and military archives of France (Paris) and Spain (Madrid) and with French colleagues as you see here, Cadiz University, by the port admiral’s invitation, the Spanish Naval Station of Rota, San Sebastian, a fortress and naval base for a lunch and to examine archives and out of yet more curiosity, Cape Trafalgar.
An example of exceptional and meticulous research was my visit to Her Majesty’s Hydrographic Office, Taunton.
Her Majesty’s Hydrographic Office, Taunton is a huge, very ‘secure’ government complex definitely not open to the public where for generations the renowned ‘Admiralty Charts’ the best of all the best charts, have been and still are produced.
‘Trafalgar Dawn, sold, the awesome, haunting prints are still available as fine art prints on canvas on canvas for the look and feel of the original painting, from £ 167 for the look and feel of the original, signed, numbered.
Purchase Now with Paypal or bank to bank and by arrangement, in instalments.
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Nelson today
Nelson lead an heroic life, with high moral standards so is justly considered Britain’s foremost naval hero even eclipsing great seamen like Francis Drake, Hawkins, George Anson and James Cook.
Nelson was a warm hearted fellow, considerate of others, tremendously brave [on the eve of Trafalgar he is quoted as saying “this will be my 106th action”].
He was much loved by many including the plain Jack Tars.
Tough real men many of whom openly blubbered when they learnt of his death.
For young people looking for role models, I would recommend they find [Amazon?] and read a copy of The Life of Nelson by the American author Captain A. T. Mahan [USN] written in 1897.
Mahan was an American naval officer and historian who was a highly influential exponent of sea power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
A very big THANK YOU
to one and all goes unreservedly for the good will and good humour of many people in Britain, France and Spain contributed to this amazing Trafalgar Collection.
I wish I could name you all and shake your hands again.
In particular I would like to thank my principal sponsors, Nick Varley, David Ellingham and John Mitchell, also Mr. Peter Goodwin, Michele Huvé & the Brest Jumlarge, Lt Cmdr Mike Cheshire (Captain, HMS Victory) , the directors of Victory 2005 Ltd and M. & Mme Linquette of Brest.
Trafalgar Project Background
Further Reading: < This is a hyperlink to an expanded introduction to this awesome series, enjoy.
Special Paintings
Peter Goodwin’s brief beginning in 1992 was to restore HMS Victory to her ‘Trafalgar Condition’ in readiness for the 2005 bi centenary of Trafalgar.
Creative art and diligent research is behind this series. I traveled to many places in England, France and Spain including London, Liverpool, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Brest, Paris, Madrid, Cadiz and the San Sebastian naval base. Everywhere, experts and knowledgeable ameteurs generously gave me their time and guided me to access rare documents.
Service Historique de la Marine, Paris.
I was careful to view original documents and assess period paintings not just in Britain, in France and Spain too. I visited just for the ‘ambience’, Cape Trafalgar with French colleagues.
I found in all three countries many experts very willing to help and some with astonishing views for an example, I was told with pride in Spain that Nelson had a girlfriend in Cadiz so regularly, discreetly visited the city port.
That romantic love affair could be true during a pre Trafalgar period alas it was not in my brief to follow up.
I’ve found numerous facts equally or more interesting, certainly more enlightening than the fictions that still pose in many books and videos as Nelson and Trafalgar facts.
In the case of Nelson and Trafalgar I found the truth as revealed by original logs, diaries, letters, plans and charts more complex, more interesting and more to the credit of the men of all nations present than history likes to admit.
It is clear that the French and Spanish knew before they sailed from Cadiz that a battle was highly likely and most of them were fed up with evading the British. The wisdom of engaging the British was hotly disputed at the last senior officer’s conference before they sailed from Cadiz.
Some of their ships failed to engage, I discovered why. Those that did engange mostly fought with savage and despreate determination, some being very outstanding, both flagships and the Redoutable being examples of incredible devotion to duty.
All the combatants behaved honourably, those engaged fought very bravely, behaved gallantly in defeat but never stood a chance against a decidedly superior British fleet with more advanced technology.
In addition, the British were very skilfully lead by Nelson and his captains and they too fought bravely and behaved impeccably.
Trafalgar remains important with a story full of outstanding heros and villains, and because after Trafalgar Britain, it’s language, ideals and its culture became until World War Two the world dominant superpower.
Historical inaccuracy abounds.
Misunderstandings, half truths, nationalist propaganda and outright lies, there is so much in circulation.
I make a very considerable effort to present you with art work which gives you a feeling of intimacy and when ever possible, accurate.
As one of my followers put it, here on this website “you get a front row seat to history” and is in most instances, as near truth as near ‘documentary’, as meticulous, diligent research can get.
See Further reading about Nelson and Trafalgar, Maritime Paintings for this story and more.
Gordon Frickers is one of the very few artists invited to created a one man show of (35) paintings (May 2011) at the European Parliament, Brussels.
He has also had exhibitions in other prestigious venues in Britain and Europe.
“Come, cheer up, my lads, ’tis to glory we steer“
The opening line of Hearts of Oak, anthem of the Royal Navy.
Sketches
In addition, there are numerous bargains to be found among the drawings and sketches, ask for details, here is an example.
"Cannon sketch made on-board HMS Victory", 21 x 30 cm (8½" x 12"), price upon application.
The artist was given special permission to work on-board the ship and a letter of introduction from her commander which was used to open achieves in museums in London, Liverpool, Plymouth, Brest, Paris, Madrid, Cadiz and San Sebastian Naval Base.
Many of Gordon Frickers’ other paintings are available as prints from our print gallery priced from £187 inc p&p.
To acquire or commission a similar painting, simple, secure, place a deposit or payment on our Payment page for your Gordon Frickers original painting (or in some cases a Heritage quality print) or feel free to
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