Battle of Trafalgar Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies, during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1796–1815). Twenty-seven British ships of the line led by Admiral Lord Nelson aboard defeated thirty-three French and Spanish ships of the line under French Admiral Villeneuve. The battle took place in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar, near the town of Los Caños de Meca. The Franco-Spanish fleet lost
The Battle of Trafalgar (painting) early works was "The Battle of Trafalgar, as Seen from the Mizen Starboard Shrouds of the Victory". This work was well received and provided the foundation from which Turner would develop "Trafalgar" into a scene representing an overall account of the whole battle. This earlier depiction is closer to Turner’s style in that it leans away from traditional maritime paintings and more toward the ambiguity and sublime that Turner would later be known for. In preparation for "Trafalgar" Turner created two preparatory oil sketches, with the "First Sketch for ‘The Battle of Trafalgar’" aligning its composition with the traditional maritime