East Ayrshire Council has recently secured ownership of the painting 'The Battle of Trafalgar' painted in 1824 by Cumnock born artist John Wilson 1774 -1855.

The council has been acting as temporary custodian of the painting (which was accepted by HM Government in Lieu of Inheritance tax and allocated to East Ayrshire Council) since the summer of 2010 and the picture has been proudly displayed at The Baird Institute in Cumnock.

John Wilson was born in Ayrshire in 1774, he began his working life as a house painter at the age of 13 then became a drawing master in Montrose. He moved to London in 1798 and earned his living initially as a house painter then as a scene painter in theatres. He also built a reputation on a series of seascapes and landscapes and exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and other institutions. He became known as a maritime and landscape painter, becoming an honorary member of the Royal Scottish Academy. The painting won a prize when displayed at the British Institution in 1825 and is considered a significant work and was bought by Lord Northwick, a noted collector of fine art and antiquities.

The painting was completed19 years after the battle itself, The Battle of Trafalgar took place on October 21st 1805, at the height of the Napoleonic wars. The British fleet under Admiral Lord Nelson encountered a combined French and Spanish fleet off Cape Trafalgar on the Mediterranean coast. The 27 strong British fleet destroyed or captured 22 of the 33 French and Spanish ships without loss to themselves. The victory ensured the failure of Napoleon's plans to dominate Europe. The British triumph was tempered by the death of the country's great naval hero, Lord Nelson who was fatally wounded by a French sniper.

In a strange quirk of fate, there is another very strong connection between Cumnock and the Battle of Trafalgar. John Johnstone, born in 1871 was a Royal Navy sailor on board the Colossus at the Battle, where he received a major wound to his thigh which nearly killed him. However, he is believed to have been one of the last surviving participants in the Battle, and spent his last years in Cumnock. He also wrote and published a poem 'Lord Nelson', which attracted the attention of noted poet and writer A.B. Todd.

Councillor Jim Roberts said of the work "This is an important acquisition for East Ayrshire Council, we have been able to display this work over the past year due to the local connection, but we are delighted to have secured ownership of this significant painting to add to our collections. John Wilson's association with Cumnock makes The Baird an ideal permanent home for his painting." The work can currently be seen on display at The Baird in Cumnock, Thursday - Saturday 11am - 5pm.

There are other examples of Wilson's work in the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Gallery of Scotland and in several galleries in England. Visit www.futuremuseum.co.uk