The son of a British marine painter, James E. Buttersworth (1817-1894) was among the most prolific maritime artists of the nineteenth century. After developing his craft in England, he emigrated to the U.S. and for more than 40 years, documented the yachts and commercial vessels that frequented the waters around New York City. Like his contemporaries, the Luminist and Hudson River School artists, Buttersworth excelled in dramatic depictions of sea and sky, elevating his precisely detailed renderings of ships beyond document to art.