William Wyllie

1851 - 1931

William Lionel Wyllie (often simply W L Wyllie) was a leading British marine artist who worked with oils and watercolours, dry points and etchings. He studied at Heatherleys and the Royal Academy schools where he won the Turner Gold Medal in 1869. Wyllie was a prolific exhibitor; he exhibited over 200 works at the Royal Academy from 1868 and was elected RA in 1907. From 1906, when he moved to Portsmouth, he became closely associated with the Royal Navy and he lived at Tower House at the entrance to Portsmouth harbour until his death in 1931. A collection of his work may be seen at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Wyllie joined the campaign for the restoration of 'HMS Victory' in the early 1920's, with his pictures helping to raise funds and keep the 'Victory' in peoples minds. Once the restoration was well under way the building of a museum to further the public's knowledge of the ship and its history was undertaken. Partly to raise the money towards its construction, and partly to satisfy a deep personal wish, Wyllie proposed to paint a panorama of the Battle of Trafalgar. On 29th July 1930 Wyllie's painting was finally unveiled by King George V at the Historic Portsmouth Dockyard, close to HMS Victory. At 42 feet by 12 feet (13 metres x 4 metres), it is perhaps the largest representation of the Battle in existence and depicts the Battle at its height at 2.00 pm when the two fleets are fully engaged. The

William Lionel Wyllie (often simply W L Wyllie) was a leading British marine artist who worked with oils and watercolours, dry points and etchings. He studied at Heatherleys and the Royal Academy schools where he won the Turner Gold Medal in 1869. Wyllie was a prolific exhibitor; he exhibited over 200 works at the Royal Academy from 1868 and was elected RA in 1907. From 1906, when he moved to Portsmouth, he became closely associated with the Royal Navy and he lived at Tower House at the entrance to Portsmouth harbour until his death in 1931. A collection of his work may be seen at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Wyllie joined the campaign for the restoration of 'HMS Victory' in the early 1920's, with his pictures helping to raise funds and keep the 'Victory' in peoples minds. Once the restoration was well under way the building of a museum to further the public's knowledge of the ship and its history was undertaken. Partly to raise the money towards its construction, and partly to satisfy a deep personal wish, Wyllie proposed to paint a panorama of the Battle of Trafalgar. On 29th July 1930 Wyllie's painting was finally unveiled by King George V at the Historic Portsmouth Dockyard, close to HMS Victory. At 42 feet by 12 feet (13 metres x 4 metres), it is perhaps the largest representation of the Battle in existence and depicts the Battle at its height at 2.00 pm when the two fleets are fully engaged. The

panorama can still be seen today, in its original position, but now as part of the displays of the Royal Naval Museum.

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