The British Snow (note the spanker hooped to the trysail mast abaft the mainmast) MARY is shown in this portrait running up channel off the famous white cliffs with the Port of Dover seen just below the ship's flying jib. Further inspection shows Dover Castle on the promontory above the area known as the Downs.
Walters' fine stylized sea and the soft pastel tones used in the sky highlight the composition's folk-art style. The crisp delineation of the vessel's name pennant on the main mast and excellent attention to the details of rig and hull shape are also notable attributes in this work.
The artist has created here a fine two position portrait of the brig, with her stern view seen to the far right, a method his famous son, Samuel, would utilize successfully in his own career. This work is an end product of the thirteen years Miles Walters spent as a seaman on ships similar to this and his artistic skill at portraying them with uncommon accuracy and detail.
