Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Samuel Walters died in 1882; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1952.
In context
Cunarder In A Gale — Samuel Walters
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 71 at death.
Shaded: the lifetime of Samuel Walters (1811–1882) every dated painting, decade by decade
This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/samuel-walters-cunarder-in-a-gale-9FJJVC-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Putty #cbccc6
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 99.3% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 126 works by this artist, of which 19 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Born in London, United Kingdom
Samuel Walters (1811 – 1882) stands as a pivotal figure in the history of British art, particularly renowned for his evocative and meticulously detailed depictions of maritime life during the Victorian era. Born into a family deeply rooted in shipbuilding and artistry—his father, Miles Walters, was himself a respected marine artist—Walters’ artistic journey began within this rich tradition, ultimately establishing him as one of the most enduring figures of the Liverpool School of Marine Art. His legacy resides not just in the sheer volume of his work, but also in his ability to capture the dynamism and grandeur of ships at sea, imbued with a sense of realism and romanticism that resonated deeply with Victorian audiences.
Born in London in 1811, Samuel Walters’ formative years were spent immersed in the world of shipbuilding and artistic craftsmanship. His father's profession provided a unique environment for his development; he witnessed firsthand the intricate processes involved in constructing these magnificent vessels and gained an appreciation for their beauty and power. While his father imparted foundational skills, Walters largely pursued his artistic education independently, demonstrating a remarkable self-discipline and innate talent. Crucially, he moved to Liverpool in 1826, a city then at the heart of Britain’s burgeoning maritime trade, providing him with unparalleled access to subject matter and inspiration. This relocation coincided with his enrollment at the Liverpool Academy of Arts, where he honed his skills and began exhibiting his work publicly.
Walters’ arrival in Liverpool marked a turning point in his career and aligned him perfectly with the flourishing “Liverpool School” of marine art. This movement distinguished itself through its focus on depicting ships—particularly large merchant vessels—in their operational context, rather than solely as static subjects. Walters embraced this approach wholeheartedly, mastering the techniques necessary to convey not just the physical appearance of a ship but also its motion, atmosphere, and the skill of its crew. His paintings are characterized by a remarkable attention to detail – from the rigging and sails to the textures of the hull and the expressions on the faces of the sailors—creating an immersive experience for the viewer. He frequently employed watercolor as his medium, lending a luminous quality to his scenes and allowing him to capture the subtle shifts in light and shadow upon the water’s surface.
Walters' career spanned several decades, during which he produced an extensive body of work. His paintings frequently depicted vessels engaged in transatlantic trade, highlighting the vital role Liverpool played as a global hub. Key works include “The Brazil Packet In Two Positions Off The Coast,” a dramatic portrayal of a merchant ship battling a storm, and “The Full-rigged Merchantman Vespasian At Sea,” which showcases his mastery of capturing the scale and complexity of these impressive vessels. He also produced numerous portraits of individual ships, many commissioned by shipping companies eager to celebrate their fleet’s achievements. The artist's work was exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1842 to 1861, solidifying his reputation within the established art world.
Samuel Walters’ contribution to British art extends beyond his individual paintings. He played a crucial role in shaping the visual representation of maritime history during a period of immense technological and economic change. His work offers valuable insights into Victorian shipbuilding practices, trade routes, and the lives of those who worked aboard these magnificent vessels. His influence can be seen in subsequent generations of marine artists, and his paintings continue to be admired for their technical skill, atmospheric quality, and evocative portrayal of a bygone era. Walters’ enduring popularity is testament to his ability to capture not just the appearance of ships at sea, but also the spirit of adventure and the human drama inherent in maritime life.
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Look closely
Cunarder In A Gale — Samuel Walters
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
The color that stands out most in "Cunarder In A Gale" is putty (#cbccc6). The dominant color is useful when matching an artwork to an interior.
The X-Ray page of "Cunarder In A Gale" by Samuel Walters is an interactive viewer that lets you slide through eleven optical layers of the artwork's image, including an X-ray style view.
A green to violet spectrum hue runs through "Cunarder In A Gale" by Samuel Walters.