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Horatio Nelson, 1807, by William Beechey
Reproduced with the kind permission of The Worshipful Company of Drapers of which Nelson was an illustrious member  Portrait of Napoleon as First Consul, 1804, by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
© Collection: Musée d'Art moderne et d'Art contemporain de la Ville de Liège  Horatio Nelson and Napoleon Bonaparte were born in 1758 and 1769 respectively. Both were relatively junior officers when the Revolutionary War broke out, but rose rapidly to become celebrated national heroes in a series of brutal and lengthy military conflicts.

Both men proved themselves to be gifted leaders, administrators and tacticians in their respective forces – Nelson in the Navy and Napoleon in the French army. The victories they achieved served to heighten their personal reputations.

These reputations disguise much more complex personalities. Both Nelson and Napoleon had strengths and weaknesses and experienced triumphs and failures. But each took great care to create and maintain distinctive and positive personal images.

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