The art of the Arctic: British painting in the Far North

Abstract

At various times through history, particularly toward the end of the eighteenth century and periodically throughout the nineteenth century, public interest in the Arctic and its exploration has been stimulated by published expedition reports and narratives of personal experiences in that inaccessible region. These and many unpublished accounts of travel in the Far North have been insightfully studied and analysed by literary, geographical and social historians. Artistic depictions of Arctic exploration are far less common than written ones and have not received the same degree of scholarly attention. This article examines representative examples of Arctic imagery created by British artists during the golden age of Arctic exploration. The highly romanticised – if largely imaginary – work of professional painters is compared with the more accurate, if sometimes less artistic, first-hand depictions created by naval officers who endured the challenges of Arctic travel. A shift from slightly fanciful, optimistic views of Arctic exploration to more sombre treatments of the subject is discussed in the context of the endeavour.