Joseph Nollekens, R.A. (London 1737-1823)

The monument to Captains William Bayne, William Blair, and Lord Robert Manners, all killed during the Battle of Les Saintes (part of the Anglo-French war) in 1782, was commissioned by the King and Parliament of Great Britain in the same year, to stand in Westminster Abbey as a commemoration of their valour. This early sketch for the design depicts Britannia on the right and Neptune on the left, with the figure at his feet (not included in the final composition) symbolising the defeat of the French by the British fleet. Fame stands on a plinth in the centre, flanked by two cherubs holding plaques which were used in the final drawings and the sculpture to display the profile of each fallen captain. The design was initially rejected because of its expense, but was finally completed in 1793. There are two early designs for the monument in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and a more finished sheet in the Metropolitan Museum, New York.