Rating and value 2024 of paintings by Thomas Buttersworth

If you own a work by or based on the work of artist Thomas Buttersworth and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers can help you. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on the current market. Then, if you wish to sell your work of art, we will guide you towards the best possible means of obtaining the best possible price.

Artist's rating and value

Thomas Buttersworth made his mark on the art scene during the Napoleonic Wars. His paintings were marketed and appreciated during his lifetime. Since then, the artist's market value has risen steadily. Among Buttersworth's works, the most sought-after are those depicting warships, often in oil on canvas. A work signed by the artist can fetch tens of thousands of euros at auction, as demonstrated by his painting Captain Lord Cochrane's Frigate Pallas leaving the Tagus, which sold for €123,410 in 2006, whereas its estimate was between €58,100 and €87,110.

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

The artist's works and style

The art market is full of Buttersworth's graphic works. In addition to pencil drawings, his output includes a variety of watercolors.

The artist also produced oil paintings, which make up the bulk of his output, never neglecting the technical aspect in order to achieve the most realistic representation of warships possible.

Thomas Buttersworth, his life and work

Thomas Buttersworth (1768-1842) was an English sailor and marine painter of the First Empire period.

Born on the Isle of Wight, he joined the Royal Navy in London in 1795.

He served the United Kingdom on the famous HMS Caroline, and was invalided out of Minorca in 1800. This experience gave him a sound knowledge of warships, sailing conditions and naval battle strategies.

Armed with this knowledge and unfit for combat, Buttersworth began painting marine pictures, depicting the various ships used in the Napoleonic wars. He immortalized on paper or canvas scenes that he himself had experienced as a sailor, such as the Battle of Cadiz.

He was appointed marine painter to the Compagnie des Indes Orientales, and from then on produced commissioned canvases.

Thomas Buttersworth's imprint on his period

Thomas Buttersworth is one of England's most renowned and important marine painters. His career as a sailor enabled him to get as close as possible to the equipment used by the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and his works are therefore a considerable historical testimony.

Some of his works are exhibited by London's National Maritime Museum, but it is private collectors who play the greatest role in preserving his work. His son, James Edward Buttersworth, became a marine painter in his own right.

His signature

Thomas Buttersworth's works are mostly unsigned.

Appraising your property

If you own a work by Thomas Buttersworth, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal by filling in our online form. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you to provide an estimate of the market value of your work.

If you are considering selling your work, our specialists will also guide you through the various alternatives available to obtain the best possible price, taking into account market trends and the specific features of each work.