Montague Dawson Art

A Montague Dawson Nautical Ship Wreck Scene with tall mast ship and figures in storm framed in ebonized surround having carved foliate elements and linen lining, 20th century Measur...

Montague Dawson 1895-1973 British Battle in the Atlantic Signed "Montague Dawson" (lower left) Oil on canvas Widely regarded as the 20th-century master of maritime painting, Montague Dawson was also the Official English Naval Artist of World War II. Not only did he excel at capturing the grandeur and power of ships at sea, but his wartime compositions also brought to life the drama of battle. This commanding work reflects his mastery over his preferred subject. Executed in grayscale, the oil depicts a United States Victory ship — a class of American cargo ships — under attack by a German U-boat. The artist's penchant for photorealism and knowledge of naval vessels is fully illustrated in the work, while its palette is a reflection on the gravity of war. The son of a yachtsman and grandson of the marine painter Henry Dawson (1811-1878), Montague Dawson spent much of his childhood on Southampton Water where he was able to indulge his interest in the study of ships. Naturally gifted at drawing and painting, the self-taught Dawson became a member of an art studio group in Bedford Row, London. By the age of 15, he was working on posters and illustrations to earn a living. For a brief period around 1910, Dawson worked for a commercial art studio in London, but with the outbreak of World War I, he joined the Royal Navy. While serving in the Navy in Falmouth, he met Charles Napier Hemy...

Montague Dawson 1895-1973 British In the Trough of the Waves, the Clipper Oberon Signed “Montague Dawson” (lower left) Oil on canvas Montague Dawson, arguably the most important maritime painter of his generation, possessed an incomparable talent for rendering ships at sea with unparalleled energy and vitality. His dynamic seascapes, like In the Trough of the Waves, the Clipper Oberon, perfectly realize the grace of historic ships, enhanced by the artist’s mastery over composition. Depicted against the might of the ocean, the sailing vessel appears to rise up on the waves as it glides effortlessly through the water. The ship Dawson renders here, a British clipper ship weighing 1,194 tons, was the Oberon. Built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1869, the Oberon was originally built to be a steam clipper before she was converted into a sailing vessel. A newspaper article from the Daily Alta California on October 8, 1876 explains that the ship was used for Shaw & Maxton's China Tea Clipper Line, running routes to Australia and New Zealand to assist in the Chinese tea trade to Europe and the United States. On the ship, the Daily Alta writes of the Oberon: "Her planking, of teak-wood, is as smooth as glass, and with her beautiful entrance and fine run, there is nothing to prevent her from sailing. Her great length (241 feet, with a beam of but 36 feet,) gives her good sailing power, and that she possesses this power in a remarkable degree. [...] Nothing but teak is used in the construction of the vessel's fittings. A fine piece of carving extends across the after part of the house on deck, illustrating the legendary of 'Midsummers' Night's Dream,' from which the name of the vessel was taken." Dawson captures the boat from a distance, rendering not the beauty of the teakwood carvings, but certainly the imposing and glorious presence of the Oberon under sail. The son of a keen yachtsman and grandson of marine painter Henry Dawson, Montague Dawson spent much of his childhood on the Southampton Water, where he was able to indulge his interest in the study of ships. Naturally gifted at drawing and painting, the self-taught Dawson became a member of an art studio group in Bedford Row...

Montague Dawson 1895-1973 British Eight Bells Signed "Montague Dawson" (lower right) Oil on canvas laid on board Few painters were so adept at renderin...

‘A Windy Day’ by Montague Dawson,watercolour heightened with white on artist board showing a gaff rigged yacht in the foreground with two astern in the distance, the water realistically painted with an approaching line squall to weather, signed ‘MONTAGUE DAWSON’. In the original gilt frame with a label stating ‘Windy Day Montague Dawson’ and a trade label from the Old Customs House on the back.. English circa …. Provenance: Sold by The Old Customs House Gallery, Lymington. Private collection, USA. Footnote: Montague Dawson RMSA, FRSA (1890–1973) was born in West London, in Chiswick in 1895, Montague Dawson was the grandson of Victorian landscape painter Henry Dawson. He studied under the seascape artist Charles Napier Hemy...

A small Montague Dawson oil on panel of ships being careened, dated 1960, in a grisaille palette, showing two three masted ships being careened, the one in the foreground with a tend...

The dynamism of the seas and the grace of the sailboats that traverse their waters are captured with great accuracy and attention to detail in this work by Montague Dawson. Here, the...

Montague Dawson demonstrates his skill for capturing the dynamism of the seas in this monumental oil on canvas, bringing vividly to life a clipper ship race on the open water. This is among the largest paintings ever composed by the artist, and every inch of the work pays homage to the beauty of ships at full sail. Montague Dawson is considered the master of marine painting, famous for his breathtaking, highly detailed compositions. By 1935, he was dubbed "the King of the Clipper Ship School," and his reputation as a maritime painter spread internationally. The speed and grace of the historic Lightning and Red Jacket are perfectly realized in the present work, enhanced by Dawson's skill at photorealism and mastery over composition. The Lightning and the Red Jacket...

This painting by Montague Dawson serves as an ode to the majesty of ships at sea. Entitled Bird of Dawn, the Sir Lancelot, the work brings vividly to lif...

Montague Dawson: ‘Down Solent’ showing ‘Cohoe’, the 1950 Transatlantic Race winning yacht of K. Adlard Coles, oil on canvas, ‘Cohoe’ sail number 339, is on port tack with three figures in the cockpit and two further yachts sailing in the distance. The reverse with a paper label from the Roberts Art Gallery, 139 Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada stating ‘Montague Dawson, ‘“Down Solent.” The Yacht Cohoe. Height. 24 Width 36in Number 5025. Price 950.’ Framed. English, circa 1950. Footnotes: Montague Dawson RMSA, FRSA (1890–1973) was the son of a keen yachtsman and the grandson of the marine painter Henry Dawson (1811–1878). He served in the Dazzle Painting Section at Leith in WWI and 1924 was the official artist for an Expedition to the South Seas by the steam yacht St.George. He was present at the final surrender of the German High Seas Fleet and many of his illustrations depicting the event were published in The Sphere. After the war, Dawson established himself as a professional marine artist, concentrating on historical subjects and portraits of deep-water sailing ships often in stiff breeze or on high seas. During WWII he was once again employed as a war artist and again worked for The Sphere. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Society of Marine Artists, of which he became a member, from 1946 to 1964, and occasionally at the Royal Academy between 1917 and 1936. He was considered one of the greatest living marine artists, whose patrons included two American Presidents, Dwight D Eisenhower and Lyndon B Johnson, as well as the British Royal Family. Another painting of ‘Cohoe’ by Montague Dawson entitled ‘Racing Days’ – “Samuel Pepys” and “Cohoe” was exhibited at the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Guildhall, London 1952 (No. 4). Knud Hjelmberg Reimers was born in Århus, Denmark but educated as a shipwright in Germany; first at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, a yard building large sailing and motor yachts and then as an apprentice at Abeking & Rasmussen. His first employment was in Stockholm at the design studio of the famous naval architect Gustaf Estlander. When Estlander suddenly died at the age of 54 in 1930, the 25-year-old Reimers bought his design practice. He promptly sold six 22m Skerry cruisers to the Detroit Yacht Club. He later drew plans for the great 75m Skerry cruiser Bacchant (II) that furthered his reputation as a designer of fast cruisers and racers. He argued that in offshore race sailing, the final test is to create boats that can travel at sea in any weather, and said (loosely translated): “The boat is the means to reach the treasure beyond the horizon”. His drawing archives are at the Maritime Museum in Stockholm. Reimers’ most celebrated construction is the ‘Tumlare(n)’ which was designed in the early 1930s specifically for cruising round the Swedish archipelago but also became a popular class worldwide and is credited with having considerable influence on the development of yacht racing in Australia. Adlard Coles, O.B.E (1901-85) was a renowned ocean cruiser, racer, author and publisher. Adlard Coles wrote of his first Tumlare(n) ‘Zara’ that he had ‘never owned a boat with more endearing manners, which was such a delight to sail’. He won the 1950 Transatlantic race in his larger 32ft Tumlare(n) ‘Cohoe’. His publishing career began with magazines ‘The Yachtsman’ and ‘Yachtsman’s Annual’ but rapidly expanded into nautical books...

The dynamism of the seas and the might of the clipper ships that brave their waters are captured with great accuracy and attention to detail in this work by Montague Dawson. Here, t...

Famous for his highly detailed compositions of ships at sea, Montague Dawson is undoubtedly the greatest marine painter of the 20th century. In A Ship in Open Water, Dawson’s skill at photorealism and his ability to capture dynamic movement are fully evident. With an incredible energy, he perfectly captures the volume of the sails and the vitality of the white capped, churning waves as this impressive vessel effortlessly glides through the water. The son of a keen yachtsman and grandson of marine painter Henry Dawson (1811-1878), Montague Dawson spent much of his childhood on Southampton Water where he was able to indulge his interest in the study of ships. Naturally gifted at drawing and painting, the self-taught Dawson became a member of an art studio group in Bedford Row...