MONTAGUE DAWSON
British (1890-1973)
Ship at Sail
oil on canvas on board, signed lower left "Montague Dawson"
20 x 29 3/4 inches

Provenance: Marshall Fields and Company Pictures Gallery, Chicago, Illinois; Estate of Peter Pauls Stewart, Dallas, Texas; Private Collection, Texas.

Other Notes:
Montague Dawson, grandson of painter Henry Dawson (1811–1878), was both a British naval seaman and an exceptional painter, internationally recognized as the leading marine artist of the twentieth century. He spent much of his childhood with his father, an avid yachtsman, on the waters of Southampton where he learned about sailing and ships.

Dawson studied under the renowned artist Charles Napier Hemy (1841–1917) at the Royal Academy. He met Hemy in Falmouth during the first World War when he was a member of the Royal Navy. It was during this time that he became skilled in painting naval ships. By the end of the war, Dawson was a Lieutenant in the 'Dazzle Painting' section at Leith. After the war, Dawson exhibited frequently at the Royal Academy and began his exclusive relationship with Frost & Reed Gallery in London. He was also appointed as an official war artist during World War II.

In the years following World War I, Dawson established himself as a professional marine artist. He concentrated on historical subjects and on painting sailing ships, masterfully capturing the movement of the ocean waves and wind in the sails. His most iconic work explored the world of 18th and 19th century clippers and warships, paying homage to maritime history's 'Age of Sail.' Lot 31 Ship at Sail is a typical example of this part of Dawson's oeuvre – a 19th century clipper, built to move imports like gold from California and tea from China in the quickest times possible. Dawson's skill with painting the effects of both light and wind on the ship, its sails, and the surrounding sky and ocean bring the moment to life, a portrait that captures an era.

For several centuries, the ambitions of European and American business, travel, world-wide trade, and exploration depended specifically on their commercial and military naval capabilities. Fortunes rose and fell with the Dutch, the English, the French, the Spanish, and the Portuguese, all plying the seas in these majestic, deep-water sailing ships. Their romanticization after the rise of steam-powered engines and eventually fossil fuel engines has not abated - the nostalgia and wonder elicited by these beautiful ships traveling vast distances on just the power of the wind and sails paired with the skill of their crew still evokes the magic of journeys and exploration.

"Shortly before his death in 1973," writes Ron Ranson in his 1993 monograph, "a remarkable tribute was made to Montague Dawson. He looked out of his window one day to see two fully rigged training ships, the Royalist and the Sir Winston Churchill, apparently sailing straight towards his house on the shore. At what appeared to be the very last moment, they turned about, and both ships dipped their ensigns in salute to the man who had probably done more than any other to capture the magic and majesty of sail."[1].

Dawson was an associate of the Royal Society of Artists and a member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. His works can be viewed in museums around the world, and his patrons included the British Royal Family, and American Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson.

tags: seascape / coastal / marine, sailing, European, oil painting

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as part of the purchase price. Purchases made through
Invaluable will be subject to an additional 5% charge (30%
total buyer's premium) and purchases made online through
shannons.com will be subject to an additional 2% charge
(27% buyer's premium). Payment may be made by, check,
ACH or wire transfer. Visa, MasterCard and Amex may
be used up to the amount of $5,000 per auction. We currently
collect sales tax in CT, KS, MA, MI, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI and
VA and remit the appropriate sales tax. If we do not collect sales
tax in your state, it is still your responsibility to pay the proper tax
on your purchases.
ALL ITEMS MUST BE PAID FOR WITHIN 14 DAYS OF THE SALE, AT WHICH POINT THEY WILL BE RELEASED FOR SHIPMENT OR DELIVERY.

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We currently collect sales tax in CT, KS, MA, MI, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI and
VA and remit the appropriate sales tax. If we do not collect sales
tax in your state, it is still your responsibility to pay the proper tax
on your purchases.
ALL ITEMS MUST BE PAID FOR WITHIN 14 DAYS OF THE SALE, AT WHICH POINT THEY WILL BE RELEASED FOR SHIPMENT OR DELIVERY.

Condition Statement & Glossary of Terms

Shannon's LLC Fine Art Auctioneers acts solely as an agent for various owners and consignors. It exercises care in describing all items listed and uses judgment in attributing authorship, but offers no guarantee regarding authenticity, condition, or description. The items described in this catalog, which description may be amended by notice or announcement at sale time, are offered for sale by Shannon's LLC as agent for various owners or others authorized to sell the items.

Glossary of Terms:
After:A work of art or object made in the style of an artist or maker, but not by the artist. Sometimes refers multiples that may have used an artist's mold or plate, but were reproduced by someone other than the artist, including posthumous works. Can also be used to describe a direct reproduction after an original work of art.
Attributed (attr.):In our opinion, probably or possibly a work of art by the artist. The work is either unsigned, and/or lacks adequate provenance or authentication by experts in the field.
Bears Signature: The work is signed, but the work and signature may not be by the hand of the artist.
Manner of: Made in the likeness or style of an artist, with a slight possibility that it was made by the artist or by a follower or student of the artist. Also see "After" and "Attributed".
Possibly:Being something that may or may not be true or actual without guarantee.
Probably:Supported by evidence strong enough to establish presumption but not proof. We do not guarantee it to be true.
School:Usually relates to a particular artistic or aesthetic movement. It can also relate to an actual school or to followers of a particular artist or maker. Also see:"Manner of", "Style", "Attributed to" and "After".
Style:After the time period in which the style originated, or a more recent reproduction (ie: Style of Pablo Picasso or Cubist Style), used to refer to the style of a particular artist or artistic movement, generally made long after that time period.