Nelson and the Bear

Richard Westall painted Nelson and the Bear in 1809, depicting the famous incident from Nelson's youth when, during a polar expedition in 1773, the 14-year-old midshipman supposedly attacked a polar bear with the butt of his musket. The story became one of the most popular episodes in the Nelson legend, though its accuracy has been questioned. Westall was a leading painter of historical and literary subjects.

Westall's dramatic composition captures the youthful Nelson's courage in the face of danger. The theatrical lighting and the vivid contrast between the dark ice and the white bear create a striking narrative image that served the growing cult of Nelson worship.