A 'lost' painting of Admiral Lord Nelson showing his facial scarring and missing eyebrow is to go on display in London.
Part of a series of portraits of the famous admiral painted by Italian artist Leonardo Guzzardi in 1799, the painting was last publicly seen in a newspaper article in 1897.
The painting was rediscovered from an American private collection by art dealer and presenter of BBC programme 'Fake or Fortune' Philip Mould.
‘Lost’ painting of Lord Nelson showing his facial scars to go on display for the first time in more than 100 years
Painting found by Fake or Fortune presenter Philip Mould in American collection
Restoration included the removal of the paint added to cover up hero's scarring
He said 'it was like reversing plastic surgery to reveal lost history'
Not uncommon for restorers to believe they were 'improving' original works
By Tariq Tahir For Mailonline
12 November 2017
A 'lost' painting of Admiral Lord Nelson showing his facial scarring and missing eyebrow is to go on display in London.
Part of a series of portraits of the famous admiral painted by Italian artist Leonardo Guzzardi in 1799, the painting was last publicly seen in a newspaper article in 1897.
The painting was rediscovered from an American private collection by art dealer and presenter of BBC programme 'Fake or Fortune' Philip Mould.
On finding the painting, he found Nelson's missing eyebrow, and some of the scarring he sustained at the Battle of the Nile in 1798 had been painted over.
A painting of Admiral Lord Nelson showing his facial scarring and missing eyebrow which will be on display in London
The injuries to the Royal Navy's most famous hero were caused by flying metal during the battle and were a crucially significant part of Guzzardi's original characterisation than many later portraits.
Mr Mould brought the painting back to England for restoration, which included the removal of the paint added to cover up the maritime hero's scarring.
He said: 'This was like reversing plastic surgery to reveal lost history.
'Seeing the scar emerge was a remarkable moment. Nelson the human replaced the more heroic projection.
Lord Nelson in full regalia painted by Sir William Beechey, the more common image of the hero
'It was not uncommon for unsophisticated restorers in the last century to believe they were 'improving' original works with their own paintbrush, only to disguise their authenticity and distinction in the process. '
This version of Nelson's likeness holds further interest, having been owned by collector Alfred Morrison, who also possessed the celebrated correspondence between Nelson and his mistress Lady Hamilton.
The painting will be displayed at Philip Mould & Co's gallery in London from Monday and is on sale for an undisclosed amount.
Alongside the painting, a recreation of the diamond chelengk, a form of military decoration which adorns Lord Nelson's hat in the picture, will also be displayed. The original was stolen from the Royal Maritime Museum in 1951.
Part of a series of portraits of the famous admiral painted by Italian artist Leonardo Guzzardi in 1799, the painting was last publicly seen in a newspaper article in 1897.
The painting was rediscovered from an American private collection by art dealer and presenter of BBC programme 'Fake or Fortune' Philip Mould.
‘Lost’ painting of Lord Nelson showing his facial scars to go on display for the first time in more than 100 years
Painting found by Fake or Fortune presenter Philip Mould in American collection
Restoration included the removal of the paint added to cover up hero's scarring
He said 'it was like reversing plastic surgery to reveal lost history'
Not uncommon for restorers to believe they were 'improving' original works
By Tariq Tahir For Mailonline
12 November 2017
A 'lost' painting of Admiral Lord Nelson showing his facial scarring and missing eyebrow is to go on display in London.
Part of a series of portraits of the famous admiral painted by Italian artist Leonardo Guzzardi in 1799, the painting was last publicly seen in a newspaper article in 1897.
The painting was rediscovered from an American private collection by art dealer and presenter of BBC programme 'Fake or Fortune' Philip Mould.
On finding the painting, he found Nelson's missing eyebrow, and some of the scarring he sustained at the Battle of the Nile in 1798 had been painted over.
A painting of Admiral Lord Nelson showing his facial scarring and missing eyebrow which will be on display in London
The injuries to the Royal Navy's most famous hero were caused by flying metal during the battle and were a crucially significant part of Guzzardi's original characterisation than many later portraits.
Mr Mould brought the painting back to England for restoration, which included the removal of the paint added to cover up the maritime hero's scarring.
He said: 'This was like reversing plastic surgery to reveal lost history.
'Seeing the scar emerge was a remarkable moment. Nelson the human replaced the more heroic projection.
Lord Nelson in full regalia painted by Sir William Beechey, the more common image of the hero
'It was not uncommon for unsophisticated restorers in the last century to believe they were 'improving' original works with their own paintbrush, only to disguise their authenticity and distinction in the process. '
This version of Nelson's likeness holds further interest, having been owned by collector Alfred Morrison, who also possessed the celebrated correspondence between Nelson and his mistress Lady Hamilton.
The painting will be displayed at Philip Mould & Co's gallery in London from Monday and is on sale for an undisclosed amount.
Alongside the painting, a recreation of the diamond chelengk, a form of military decoration which adorns Lord Nelson's hat in the picture, will also be displayed. The original was stolen from the Royal Maritime Museum in 1951.
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