Naval fleets gliding along calm waters, tiny ships being tossed about on a stormy sea; these are the works of talented Maritime Painters. Numerous European, American and Australian painters have looked to the seas for centuries for inspiration on painting some of the finest compositions in art history.

Maritime art is perhaps one of the more collectible types of paintings on the art market today. Artists like Thomas Buttersworth, Joseph Turner, Eugene Boudin and many more were primarily maritime painters and created stunning seascapes of the Atlantic Ocean and other bodies of water. This love affair with the sea is resonated in a multitude of styles starting with Realism to Impressionism, and in a number of themes from war and adventure to majesty and serenity to simple port scenes.

Many of these maritime paintings have underlying themes, whether it is the hope of a new day echoed in a seaside sunrise or death and tragedy mirrored in a stormy sea. Some maritime paintings have considerably less thought put into them, and are simply fantastic documentations of naval fleets from days gone by.

A maritime painting can be categorized into two groups: seascapes and vessel portraits. Seascapes are just what they sound like; landscapes of the sea. This could include the surrounding beaches, lighthouses, rocky cliffs or simply a calm blue horizon. Vessel portraits are also just what they sound like, and are paintings of majestic sailboats chartering dangerous waters, billowy sails blowing in the breeze.

As with most paintings, one of the most important aspects of finding the value or importance of a maritime painting rests in the name of the artist that created it. However, the rising popularity of maritime paintings may up the value of any seascape or vessel portrait.

Another thing to consider with maritime paintings is the history behind the scene which is pictured. Do you have a simple painting of a beach, or could it be a painting of Normandy Beach only a week before D-Day? Is your painting a simple portrait of a grand sailboat, or is it a portrait of a royal pleasure boat? With the right kind of research, you may be surprised to know that your maritime painting is actually far more important than you think.

If you are still wondering about a seascape, painting of a boat or maritime painting in your family collection, contact us for more information on your valuable piece.