Nelson's Ship in a Bottle | |
---|---|
Artist | Yinka Shonibare |
Year | 2010 |
Subject | HMS Victory |
Dimensions | 280 cm× 250 cm× 500 cm(110 in× 98 in× 200 in) |
Location | National Maritime Museum, London |
51°28′49″N0°00′19″W / 51.48030°N 0.00531°W |
Nelson's Ship in a Bottle is a sculpture by the British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare. Commissioned in 2009 by the Greater London Authority, [1] it was originally placed on the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square in 2010.
It was subsequently relocated to a plinth outside the Sammy Ofer Wing of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, in southeast London, going on permanent display on 23 April 2012, two days before the museum's 75th anniversary. [2] The work was purchased for £362,500 through a joint fund including a £50,000 contribution from the Art Fund and £264,300 from members of the public. [2]
Made in 2010, the work depicts Admiral Nelson's ship HMS Victory and measures 280 cm x 250 cm x 500 cm. [3] The piece is intricate and features 80 cannons and 37 sails. [4]
The work represents "Africa's complicated relationship with colonial lifestyles and values". [3] The sails are characteristic of West African clothing and are a tribute to the material which was taken by the Dutch during the colonial era. It is also thought to represent the diversity of London as a multicultural city, created by the European expansion. This reflects the history of the real vessel, which is thought to have had 22 nationalities represented in its crew, and illustrates the symbolism of England's diversity today. [3] According to Shonibare:
"It's a celebration of London's immense ethnic wealth, giving expression to and honouring the many cultures and ethnicities that are still breathing precious wind into the sails of the United Kingdom." [5]
A noticeable departure from the original ship is the African-patterned fabric used for the sails. This fabric is symbolic of African identity and independence. This explores ties between colonialism and abolitionism, and the British relationship with indigenous peoples. [1]
Cutty Sark is a British clipper ship. Built on the River Leven, Dumbarton, Scotland in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line, she was one of the last tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest, at the end of a long period of design development for this type of vessel, which ended as steamships took over their routes. She was named after the short shirt of the fictional witch in Robert Burns' poem Tam o' Shanter, first published in 1791.
The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the United Kingdom, it has no general admission charge; there are admission charges for most side-gallery temporary exhibitions, usually supplemented by many loaned works from other museums.
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Yinka Shonibare, is a British artist living in the United Kingdom. His work explores cultural identity, colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation. A hallmark of his art is the brightly coloured Ankara fabric he uses. As Shonibare is paralysed on one side of his body, he uses assistants to make works under his direction.
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (1758–1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy famous for his participation in the Napoleonic Wars, most notably in the Battle of Trafalgar, during which he was killed. He was responsible for several famous victories that helped to secure British control of the seas, both securing Britain from French invasion and frustrating Napoleon's imperial ambitions. After his death during his defeat of the combined French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar, there was a public outpouring of grief. Nelson was accorded a state funeral and was buried in St Paul's Cathedral.
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