Thomas G. Dutton is considered not only the finest nineteenth century lithographer (and also one of the most prolific) to record shipping and shipping scenes, he is also a noted watercolorist and oil painter.

He is most widely recognized for his lithographs, yet his excellent marine paintings are also widely collected when they can be found. Original works by T.G. Dutton are considered today quite rare. His paintings of clipper ships, created generally for his lithographs were quite popular in his era. Today, they are seldom seen outside of the lithographs that still survive.