Skip to main content
Collections Menu
Pilot Cutter Number 4, Happy Return, off Holyhead with South Stack and the Skerries in the Distance
Pilot Cutter Number 4, Happy Return, off Holyhead with South Stack and the Skerries in the Distance
Pilot Cutter Number 4, Happy Return, off Holyhead with South Stack and the Skerries in the Distance

Pilot Cutter Number 4, Happy Return, off Holyhead with South Stack and the Skerries in the Distance

Artist (British, 1768 - 1842)
Dateca. 1835
OriginUnited Kingdom
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions14 × 18 in. (35.6 × 45.7 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry III
Object number2017.8
Label TextThomas Buttersworth, (British, 1768–1842) Pilot Cutter Number 4, Happy Return, off Holyhead with South Stack and the Skerries in the Distance Oil on canvas, about 1835 Gift of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry, III This sleek pilot cutter operated in Liverpool harbor, England. At the time, pilots were independent contractors who raced to meet arriving ships and win an engagement to bring the vessel safely into port. The ship in the distance is in distress as indicated by flying its ensign upside down, and surely welcomed the assistance. Thomas Buttersworth, the father of James Buttersworth, had a keen eye for detail, composition and drama. He painted in the early 19th century.
Status
Not on view