Samuel Atkins 1760-1808. British School 18th.Century Watercolour. Study of a Cutter in a heavy sea. Circa.1790. Signed lower left. 8.5 by 12.5 cms sight. Lovely giltwood frame 22 by 25.5 cms.
Very little is known about the celebrated marine painter Samuel Atkins. He was based in London and exhibited mainly small-scale shipping scenes at the Royal Academy every year from 1787 to 1796, except in 1790. Between 1796 and 1804 he was at sea and he is known to have visited the East Indies and the China Coast. He then returned to England and continued to exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1808, showing 18 works there in total. He moved frequently, living at addresses in the Strand, Temple Bar, Pall Mall, Haymarket and Knightsbridge. Today his works are in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum, London, and the Ulster Museum, Belfast; National Maritime Museum, Greenwich; Leeds City Art Gallery and Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.