Samuel Atkins (c1765–1808)

Watercolour, Oval 8 1/4 x 12 in (21 x 30.5 cm)

Atkins makes it clear in this example that the merest light breeze is coming astern, barely moving the square rigged sails of the vessel on the right. He is often at his best in portraying scenes like this. His calm seas are serene and luminous, with an effective contrast, as here, between a narrower strip of shadowy water in the foreground, and the expanse of sea beyond, set beneath a calm sky, with a hint of mistiness on the horizon.