Although marine artists have a substantial following with the general public, and their works are regarded as eminently collectable by the art world, individual sea painters have received surprisingly little attention from art historians. This may be because an appreciation of their work requires some technical understanding of the subject matter, which few academic critics possess. However, this new series draws on the wide-ranging resources and expertise of the National Maritime Museum in order to bridge the gap and satisfy both the maritime enthusiast and the art lover.

Each volume is an original study of the life and works of an important artist, outlining his career, working methods and techniques, and attempting a critical assessment of his achievements. Valuable reference material (such as a catalogue of pictures in public collections) a chronological table and a bibliography, are included in the appendices, and each volume is heavily illustrated with a representative selection of the painter's works in black and white and full color.