James Edward Buttersworth (1817-1894)
James Edward Buttersworth was known for marine paintings from subjects he observed in the waters off New York. His career spanned sixty years and was dedicated to portraits of all types of ships at sea such as racing clipper ships, steamers, and yachts.
He was born into a family of English marine painters in Middlesex County, England, and was schooled in the tradition of English marine painting.
Between 1845 and 1847 he emigrated to the United States and settled in Hoboken, New Jersey. He brought many of his paintings with him from England to sell, and the Currier & Ives company purchased some of them to convert into lithographs. From 1850 to 1852, he exhibited and sold paintings through the American Art Union in New York City, and, as a result, was commissioned to make a series of drawings for the yacht race of 1851 in England.
Buttersworth’s style is derived from the traditions of British marine painting, but is subtly influenced by the Luminist painters of his adopted country. This is especially visible in the interaction of sky and water, as weather and reflection imbues his works with a sense of the changeability of nature. He supported a large family and lived in West Hoboken, New Jersey, with a view of New York Harbor.
Note courtesy of Skinner, Inc.