Inspired by the Sea: Maritime Art and Artists

Although we love all the antiques we get to buy and sell on a daily basis here at Sarasota Antique Buyers, marine art certainly has a special place in our heart—probably because of our proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. There’s just something about gazing at those beautiful, intricately detailed nautical paintings that makes us appreciate that sparkling blue water, you know?

By way of a little background, marine art—or maritime art—is art that portrays scenes of the sea, or draws its inspiration from the ocean. And unsurprisingly, nautical depictions in art can be traced back to petroglyphs from 12,000 B.C.E.—clearly, the sea is a timeless source of inspiration.

 Dutch Shipping in a Heavy Swell, by Robert Cleveley

The 17th and 18th centuries, in particular, however, were rife with opportunities for maritime artists, thanks to an abundance of military action—particularly during the Napoleonic period—and many carefully depicted images of ships, battle scenes and naval life emerged. Painters like Robert Cleveley, an English maritime artist, gained a reputation for painting naval battles, and many of his works were also made into engravings and presented at Royal Naval Academy exhibitions.

Similarly, John Wilson Carmichael was a maritime artist who worked primarily in oil and watercolor. He became acquainted with the ins and outs of ships during his upbringing in Newcastle, England, which made for an exceptional accuracy in his paintings. During his prolific career, during which he, like Clevely, exhibited at the Royal Naval Academy, he also published The Art of of Marine Painting in Water-Colours and The Art of Marine Painting in Oil-Colours.

A fifth rate frigate signalling to a ship of the line off Devon, by Thomas Butterworth

And Thomas Buttersworth, who served in the British Royal Navy, painted numerous watercolor battle scenes and was appointed the East India Company’s official marine company. London’s National Maritime Museum houses several paintings by Buttersworth, as well as numerous other maritime painters; in fact, it’s thought to be one of the largest maritime museums in the world.

Maritime art is still in existence and will, of course, always continue to be—as we mentioned, it’s timeless. But we find the historical aspect of it particularly interesting, and comparing oceanic scenes of the past to those of the present is always an interesting exercise.

At Sarasota Antique Buyers, we love buying maritime paintings from the artists above and many others. And we’re happy to help trace the origin and history of your painting, as well. Just give us a call at (941) 726-0401 or contact us by clicking right here. You can even upload an image of your painting, if you’d like. We look forward to hearing from you.