James Hamilton (American 1819 - 1878) Ships Off the Coast

Hamilton was born near Belfast, Ireland; however, in 1832, the family came to the United States and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He showed an early interest in art and was helped by a family friend, who provided the means for him to take instruction. He was encouraged by John Nagel, John Sartain, Thomas Birch and other Philadelphia artists to sell a few pictures and practice his craft on stone and wood to generate income while studying art. Aside from this limited art instruction and advice, Hamilton was largely self-taught. Cira 1840 became a teacher of drawing in Philadelphia—his pupils included Peter and Thomas Moran.

He first exhibited at the Artists Fund Society of Philadelphia (Philadelphia) in 1840. His earliest works were water colors; however, the public, at that time, was more interested in purchasing paintings in oil, and so, fortunately for us, Hamilton switched to oils. In 1854 he traveled to Great Britain and worked in Wales where he painted coastal scenes. After his return to Philadelphia in 1856, he was commissioned to illustrate U.S.N. Dr. Elish Kent Kanes’s book, Artic Explorations,” from which he received a great deal of praise. From this period forward, he concentrated on marine paintings, done up with all the drama of romanticism – naval battles, storms at sea, shipwrecks. Fiery light in the sky reflected on wave crests heightens the drama, even in his more serene seascapes.

The Philadelphia Inquirer stated in 1862 that “There is no living marine painter above James Hamilton. Stanfield has not his versatility, and his genius rivals that of Turner in poetry and scenical splendor.” He made several trips along the Atlantic coast, by sea and by land, to find marine scenes of interest for his canvases. In 1875, Hamilton sent 109 of his paintings to a Philadelphia auction house to fund a trip around the world in a “leisurely fashion, remaining in each country until he had exhausted its artistic attractions.” He moved to San Franciso that year, where he opened a studio, joined the San Francisco Art Association, and spent a couple of years painting scenes along the Pacific coast. Sadly, he was unable to fulfil his dream – he died in 1878 before embarking on his journey of a lifetime.

Hamilton exhibited at the Artists’ Fund Society of Philadelphia (1840-45); Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1847-69, 1876-78, 1880); other galleries in Philadelphia; New York City, Boston, Massachusetts, Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.; and the National Academy of Design (NYC, 1867).

High auction record for this artist: $54,000