Genre Discussions: Ship Paintings

Ship paintings...  To many, they must represent the absolute bottom of the art field--talented craftsmen making making a living off of the captains and owners who wanted to satisfy their own egos with realistic portraits of their vessels.   Was a whaling-ship-painting adorning the home of a proud captain in the 1800s any different than Chevrolet posters hanging in a two-car garage today?  Are ship paintings nothing more than some kitsch decor to slap on the wall next to the light-up Red Sox clock and Rolling Stones poster at your local pub?

Well, I don't think so.  But then again, I am a bit biased.  I have always enjoyed good ship paintings.  After all, I am from New England, and am no stranger to some of the areas that were built off of nautical pursuits--shipbuilding, fishing, trade, etc.   As a kid, I found the art documenting this history so exciting that I actually used to draw my own versions where I would attempt to fabricate my own pseudo-historical ship battles or dangerous weather scenes.  It was also an excuse to try and cram as many cannons as possible into the side of a ship, which is important when you are ten. 

Other than my own nostalgia, there are plenty of reasons to take ship paintings seriously.  Yes, it is true that ship paintings are often a means of accurate pre-photographic documentation, more than introspective conceptual works.  However, the best ship paintings are a little bit of both.  They are accurate certainly, but they are filled with artistic license that makes each canvas reflect the personality of the artist.  In the works of the best practitioners: seas are always dramatically stormy, flags fly in the most aesthetically pleasing manner, ships are in full sail in situations where this could be disastrous, the rocks look all the sharper, and the flashes of the cannons are packed with extra bombast.  In short, they have all of the drama, excitement, and vision that anyone could really hope for in a great painting.  And they come with the benefit of not actually making you sea sick...   

So here are a couple of examples:  Two of the best ship painters, in my opinion (and that of many others), are Thomas (late 1700s, early 1800s) and James Buttersworth (1800s).  While their paintings are highly detailed, they are also extremely stylized.  For those who wish to view their works better, many are on display at the Penobscot Marine Museum.

http://www.globalgallery.com/search/subject/boats-ships-tall+ships/style/realism

 This painting below, by William Bradford (1823-92), is on display at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in their Americas Collection.   I saw it for the first time this summer.  Although it’s hard to tell from the photo below (one of the only ones I found on the internet), the entire painting actually sparkles.  A fitting aesthetic touch for such icy subject matter.  

http://makarl.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/boston-museum-of-fine-arts-trip/

Also, just to be clear, I do realize that ship paintings are not entirely overlooked.  Their presence at art museums such as the Boston MFA is indicative of their quality, as is the high price that many of the best examples fetch today (For an example, click here....)  My point is simply that the best ship paintings are just as much "art" as they are "craft" or "decor."  They are historically important both as documentation, and as a unique genre of artistic expression.  Finally, the theme is interesting: humans struggling to overcome one of nature's most brutally alluring forces--the sea.