Lemuel Francis Abbott

Lemuel Francis Abbott was a London portrait painter whose name is tied to one sitter above all: Horatio Nelson. His portraits are direct and unfussy, with a plain background and a clear likeness, and they suited the naval officers who made up much of his clientele.

Born in Leicestershire, he studied briefly under Francis Hayman and set up in London, working for many years from Bloomsbury. Besides admirals and captains he painted writers and scientists, including the poet William Cowper, the astronomer William Herschel and the engineer Matthew Boulton. His portrait of the golfer Henry Callender is one of the earliest golf paintings.

His Nelson of 1797 was copied many times, and Nelson’s wife praised the likeness. The National Portrait Gallery in London holds several of his works. In his naval portraits, look at the uniform details and the steady, straightforward gaze.