Turner’s Monumental Battle of Trafalgar Painting Returns to Public View

The artist’s only royal commission will go on display at Greenwich’s Queen’s House to mark 250 years since Turner’s birth

One of J.M.W. Turner’s most significant masterpieces is returning to public display after more than a year in storage, the National Maritime Museum has announced.

The Battle of Trafalgar, measuring over three metres wide and the largest painting Turner ever completed, will be exhibited at the Queen’s House in Greenwich from 21 October 2025—exactly 220 years after the famous naval battle it depicts.

The unveiling forms part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of Turner’s birth in 2025, offering the public a rare opportunity to see the only painting the renowned Romantic artist created for royalty.

A Royal Commission with a Controversial Reception

King George IV commissioned the epic work in 1824 to commemorate Britain’s decisive naval victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets at Cape Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. The battle secured British naval supremacy during the Napoleonic Wars but cost the life of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, Britain’s most celebrated naval commander.

Turner’s interpretation initially drew sharp criticism from naval officials who objected to historical inaccuracies in the composition. The artist had taken considerable creative license, depicting multiple moments from the battle simultaneously and exaggerating the scale of Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory to emphasize British naval might.

Despite the early controversy, the painting later became a celebrated highlight of the Naval Gallery at Greenwich Hospital, where it was transferred in 1829.

Drama and Symbolism on an Epic Scale

Turner’s composition captures both the grandeur and horror of naval warfare. The falling foremast of HMS Victory, bearing the vice-admiral’s flag, symbolizes Nelson’s death, while signal flags spell out the final letters of “duty”—a reference to Nelson’s famous order, “England expects every man to do his duty,” and his dying words.

The French ship Redoubtable, from which the fatal shot was fired, appears sinking during the battle, though it actually foundered in a storm afterwards. This compressed timeline emphasizes the completeness of the Franco-Spanish defeat.

Yet Turner refused to sanitize the brutal reality of combat. At the painting’s center, positioned at what would have been eye level when first displayed at St James’s Palace, a dead sailor stares out with lifeless eyes. Beside him in the water appears the Latin word “ferat,” from Nelson’s motto “Palam qui meruit ferat” (Let him who has earned it bear the Palm). The juxtaposition of this symbol of victory with the sailor’s suffering challenges romanticized notions of martial glory.

A Fitting Home Among Veterans

The painting’s transfer to Greenwich Hospital in 1829 proved particularly apt. The institution provided accommodation for elderly and disabled naval veterans, many of whom had fought at Trafalgar. Turner’s emphasis on the labor and sacrifice of ordinary sailors resonated deeply in this setting.

The work was removed from display in March 2024 to protect it during capital improvements at the National Maritime Museum. Its new location within the Queen’s House art gallery places it at the heart of the museum’s fine art collection, alongside related artworks documenting the painting’s journey from royal palace to national treasure.

The 17th-century Queen’s House, designed by Inigo Jones as England’s first Classical building since Roman times, provides a suitably grand setting for Turner’s masterpiece.

To accompany the exhibition, curator Katherine Gazzard has authored J.M.W. Turner’s The Battle of Trafalgar: Commemoration and Controversy, examining the challenges Turner faced during the commission, public reactions, and the painting’s place in Britain’s national collection.

The Battle of Trafalgar goes on display at the Queen’s House, Greenwich, from 21 October 2025. Admission details available at rmg.co.uk.