Illuminating the Sea: The Marine Paintings of James E. Buttersworth, 1844-1894

Open through March 2009
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mallory Exhibit Hall

Step into the Mallory Exhibit Hall and explore the exquisite paintings of famed 19th-century marine artist James Edward Buttersworth. The exhibition showcases many of the ship portraitist's illuminating compositions, from grand canvases celebrating great clipper ships to exquisite small panels depicting yachting exploits. Mystic Seaport now has nearly 50 examples of Buttersworth's paintings, many of which are displayed in this exhibition, making it the largest collection in a public institution.

"These are beautiful paintings. The thing that distinguishes the Buttersworths is that they stop action in time, such as a moment in the middle of a race," said Mystic Seaport Senior Curator Bill Peterson.

Among many competitions, Buttersworth portrayed the start of the 1866 Transatlantic Race, the first America's Cup race in 1870 and yacht races off of Sandy Hook and Boston. Other paintings document important moments in commercial sailing history, such as the beginning of mail steamer service.

Several Buttersworth paintings in this exhibit will literally be right at home. Look for two paintings of Mystic-built ships, "Race Off the Battery, Schooner Dauntless ex-L'Hirondelle" and "Clipper Ship David Crockett." Also on exhibit are paintings titled "Sloop Yacht Haswell" and "Yacht Kate Off Boston Light," which show ships built for Charles Henry Mallory, one of Connecticut's most prosperous ship owners and the father of the Mallory building's namesake.

The detail that Buttersworth employed can astound viewers, but the exhibit's theme is one that all audiences can enjoy. "If Buttersworth's treatment of the sea is grand, the sky has such subtlety is shows another aspect of his mastery of the milieu," said Andrew German, former director of Mystic Seaport publications.

"A lot of the paintings are pretty small, but they're all gems," said German. "Buttersworth's best works have broad appeal because they depict the sea in detail that shows its chaotic structure. He's pretty remarkable; where many painters would settle upon a characteristic way to paint the water's surface, Buttersworth shows his versatility," said German.

This exhibit features paintings representing Buttersworth's entire career, beginning with his early British period works and ending with the 1893 America's Cup series, completed a year before his death.

The Artist

Buttersworth has long been recognized as a premier maritime artist distinguished by his story telling prowess, as well as his meticulous attention to detail with the brush and pallet. He began his career in England studying under his father Thomas, himself a respected marine artist. In 1847, Buttersworth immigrated to the United States and became immersed in chronicling the maritime world of New York.

Upon his arrival, America was at the height of the Golden Age of Sail and steam transportation. Ships and boats were the principal means of transportation and their owners, builders and shipmasters were the celebrities of the day. Buttersworth captured all this on his canvas. His paintings detailed packet ships, ocean steamships, clipper ships, naval frigates, harbor craft and most especially, the remunerative world of American yachting.

For about five years, Buttersworth worked for Currier & Ives lithographers and provided them with illustrations of the American maritime world. Millions of printed ship scenes enabled the American masses to see the ocean and its seagoing vessels that they might otherwise never have known about.

Although details about Buttersworth's life are still enigmatic, his work continues to flash into the limelight: in the last several months, two more Buttersworth paintings have come to public auction. In 2001, Doyle Auction House sold a Buttersworth for $136,000, about four times the expected price. "It's still puzzling why he's not better known, even though certain Buttersworth paintings have been valued at half a million dollars," said Daniel Finamore, curator of maritime art at the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, MA.

Museum to Publish Revised Buttersworth Book

Mystic Seaport will publish a new edition of Rudolf J. Schaefer's 1975 publication, J. E. Buttersworth, 19th-Century Marine Painter, in November 2008. Among other things, the new four-color version includes the latest information about historic vessels Buttersworth depicted in his paintings, as well as explanations of aesthetic choices he made in portraying them. About a third of the plates will be in color, in contrast to the first edition that had roughly one-fifth of the illustrations in color.

Buy the new James E. Buttersworth book today >

Images from top to bottom:

"Yacht L'Hirondelle in a Full Breeze"
"Clipper Ship David Crockett"
"Unidentified Ship in a Gale"