William E. Norton Nautical Oil Painting, 1874

Item Details

William Edward Norton (Massachusetts/United Kingdom, 1843 – 1916)
Untitled (maritime scene with ship), 1874
Oil on canvas
Signed “W. E. Norton” to lower left
Inscribed “W.E. Norton – Sept. 22nd / 74.” to verso

Born and raised in Boston, William Norton had an affinity for the sea that came very naturally to him, spending much of his youth sailing on family-owned ships. He studied painting at the Lowell Institute in Boston and then with George Inness, before establishing his own studio. During the 1970s he spent time studying art in Paris and moved to London until 1901, when he returned to the United States and settled in New York City with his wife. Norton’s works are represented in the permanent collections of numerous prestigious institutions, including Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Smithsonian National Museum of American Art, Chrysler Museum of Art, Lowe Art Museum, Farnsworth Art Museum and Peabody Essex Museum, among others.

Condition

- signature partially concealed by frame; scattered inpainting around outer perimeter and throughout sky, mainly near horizon line and below cloud formation on left; craquelure, notable accretion, and yellowing to pigments across painting surface; discoloration near perimeter; cracking to frame corners and throughout outer molding; accretion, chipping and abrasions to finish of frame.

Dimensions

- painting measures 16″ × 8″.

Item #

ITMG273892