James Wilson Carmichael

British (1800-1868)

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1800, Carmichael was the son of a shipwright. He was apprenticed to a firm of shipbuilders, but in 1823 changed career and became an artist. During his lifetime, he became renowned for his marine scenes, in part due to his ability as a draughtsman. With this background, he was able to render the ships with fine detailing and ensure that the vessels looked exactly right in conjunction with the waves and wind.

Carmichael exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1835 and 1859, as well as at the Friends Society, the Philadelphia Academy, the British Institution and the Suffolk Street Galleries. His works can be found in the permanent collections of the Peabody Museum, the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull, the Mystic Seaport Museum, and the Mariners Museum in Virginia. Along with being an accomplished oil painter, Carmichael was also an etcher and an author, writing two books on painting: The Art of Marine Painting in Water Colours (1859) and The Art of Marine Painting in Oil Colours (1864).