Robert Salmon (1775-1845 estimated)
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Robert Salmon was a British born painter who lived and worked in America and was known for his seascapes and marine paintings. He was born Robert Salomon in Cumberland, the son of a jeweler, and as a young man, studied the seascape paintings of the Dutch masters. Little else is known of his artistic training, but it is likely that he was self taught.
In 1806, he moved to Liverpool and by that time had changed his name from “Salomon” to Salmon. Today, many of his paintings from this period exist, and it is likely that there is also a great deal more prior to this time penned as “Salomon.” Some art historians date 1800 as being the year of his official name change, though this remains one of the mysteries surrounding this great painter. Shortly after his move to Liverpool, Salmon moved to Scotland where he lived and worked for a time in Greenock, and in 1828, he set sail for America.
Salmon arrived in New York in 1828 and settled in Boston the following year. He lived in Boston until 1842 when it is believed by some that he was lost at sea.
However, proof that he survived his journey back to Europe has been found in Italy, where paintings of his have been discovered and date until at least 1845. Since Salmon’s last surviving paintings are dated 1845, this is the date that art historians attribute to his death, though others say he may have survived until 1851.
Art historians have credited Salmon as being an influence on a younger generation of maritime painters. His use of old English techniques and love for the sea resonated on canvas and created some of the finest marine paintings of his era. Some have said that he was a bit eccentric, and certainly loved the sea for he traversed it quite extensively. It is not likely that he painted many portraits, landscapes or still life pieces, as he devoted himself entirely to painting ships, shores and seaport and naval activities.
Some of Salmon’s early paintings are housed today in the National Maritime Museum of London as well as the Maritime Museum of Boston and the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Others are housed in private collections all over the United Kingdom and New England, and perhaps in your own home. Still wondering about a marine painting hanging in your home? Contact us…it could be by Robert Salmon.