William Bradford

William Bradford was an artist whose active career spanned from 1823 to 1890. His known output focuses almost exclusively on marine subjects, emphasizing Arctic scenes, coastal geographies, and dramatic nautical events.

Bradford’s work is held in the permanent collections of prominent American institutions, including the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago, establishing his representation in historical fine art archives.

Museum collections currently hold at least four documented works by the artist, specifically two paintings and two prints. These works address subjects ranging from challenging environments to documented vessels. Notable titles represented in these collections include the painting Arctic Seascape and the dramatic Shipwreck off Nantucket (Wreck off Nantucket after a Storm). Other works document remote coastal areas, such as Labrador Coast, and the functional realities of commerce and exploration, as seen in Off Greenland—Whaler Seeking Open Water and The Schooner Jane of Bath, Maine. Today, many significant William Bradford paintings and William Bradford prints are valued as historical documents. They are often available as high-quality prints derived from public domain sources.