James Edward Buttersworth 1817 - 1894

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Watson Jr.
By descent to the present owner

Rudolph J. Schaefer, J.E. Buttersworth, 19th-Century Marine Painter, Mystic, Connecticut, 1975, no. 487 (the pair), p. 257

The first: The panel support is somewhat bowed. Under UV: there is one 8-inch diagonal line of inpainting running from the top of the ship's mast to the upper center sky. There is one area of inpainting in the water at lower left and some scattered dots and pindots in the upper sky. The second: This work is in good condition. The panel support is somewhat bowed. Under UV: there is one spot of inpainting along the upper center edge and a few other scattered pindots in the sky.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

View of Ryde and Pier, Isle of Wight Opposite Portsmouth and A Three Decker off Dover Castle with Shakespeare Cliff in the Distance were likely painted between 1870 and 1885 while the artist was living in America. Rudolph Schaefer writes, “There are several settings which JEB used over and over for many of his paintings, and he consistently used them in almost identical fashion. For example, all paintings with Dover as the background show the Castle and the Cliffs from almost the identical angle, and the same segment of the shore front” (J.E. Buttersworth, 19^th-Century Marine Painter, Mystic, Connecticut, 1975, p. 19). While Buttersworth’s favorite views, which included the aforementioned Dover, as well as Portsmouth, feature prominently in his oeuvre, Schaefer goes on to write, “Since all of them were dramatic and interesting, I guess he saw no need to go in search of others. This in no way detracts from his work because there is always enough variation in the primary subject matter together with the sky and water to keep his work fresh and interesting… It’s quite amazing to think of the span of time and the span of events that JEB covered. From the great square-rigged naval vessels and paddle steamers of the 1830s and 1840s to the spoon-bowed racing monsters and transatlantic screw steamers of the 1890s. Just think of it – a span of sixty years of the greatest maritime development in history. He was with it all the way and depicted the entire spectrum of this interesting panorama, and he did it accurately, artistically and dramatically. The miniature quality of his work was certainly executed with precision, and it was usually clothed in brilliance. His expert and detailed recording of those events was by all odds his single greatest contribution” (Ibid, pp. 19, 24).