Shipping in Portsmouth Harbour

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

This marine view depicts a British man-of-war entering Portsmouth Harbour. Another tall ship is about to pass by the stern of the man-of-war, and several smaller vessels are also included, included two rowing boats.

A larger painting by Buttersworth, with an almost identical composition to this work was sold through Sotheby’s in London in 2011. However, the Sotheby’s painting shows the main man-of-war being towed into the harbour by a steam tug and includes some additional vessels in the distance.

Thomas Buttersworth was born in the Isle of Wight. He was a seaman painter, who enlisted aboard HM Enterprise in 1795 and was appointed a midshipman by 1800. That year he was invalided at Minorca and sent home. Little is known of his naval service, but the National Maritime Museum has a number of large watercolours by Buttersworth depicting the Battle of St Vincent (1797), which are executed in such a way as to suggest he was there. Although he was already painting, being invalided out of the Navy may have spurred him to become a professional artist. Despite being a prolific painter, he exhibited only one work at the Royal Academy in 1813 and one at the British Institution in 1825. He is thought to have died in London in November 1842.

Places

England, Portsmouth, Hampshire, English Channel, Portsmouth Harbour

Subjects

rowing boat, topography, seascape/coastal scene, man, ensign (ship), ship

Materials & Techniques

canvas, oil, oil painting

Artist

Thomas Buttersworth (1768 - 1842)

Title

Shipping in Portsmouth Harbour

Date

1801

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

height: 42.00 cm, width: 62.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from the Parker Gallery, December 1959

Inscription

sdbl

Provenance

With Parker Gallery, London; from whom purchased by the Ministry of Works in December 1959, possibly as 'Entrance to Portsmouth'

GAC number

5047