William Bradford (April 30, 1823 - April 25, 1892) was an American romanticist painter, photographer and explorer, originally from Massachusetts. He is known for his paintings of ships and Arctic seascapes.

He published an account of his trips to the north entitled The Arctic regions, illustrated with photographs taken on an art expedition to Greenland; with descriptive narrative by the artist in London in 1873.

He was a member of the Hudson River School, following their techniques and highly interested in the way light touches water and how it affects the look. He balanced many of his paintings by creating the composition of a counter subject and by placing darker colors around the edges, framing and counteracting the middle's bright light. He is probably most famous for the beauty of his paintings. (From Wikipedia)