Yarmouth Lugger and Other Vessels in a Calm

The principal boat in 'Yarmouth Lugger and Other Vessels in a Calm' was originally identified as a wherry boat, traditionally used for carrying cargo or passengers and mainly associated with the river Thames and areas of Norfolk and Suffolk. In June 1979 the former Keeper of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Michael Stammers, confirmed that the boat was actually a lugger, most commonly used as a fishing boat in Northern Europe. It has been suggested that 'Yarmouth Lugger and Other Vessels in a Calm' could be attributed to Miles Edmund Cotman (1810 - 1858), Cotman's son. With no firm evidence for this it is difficult to distinguish between the two, so the watercolour has retained its traditional attribution to Cotman.