MONTAGUE DAWSON (BRITISH, 1890–1973) Lot n° 23

Tranquil Night, Signed 'MONTAGUE DAWSON' bottom left; also titled on upper stretcher verso, oil on canvas 28 x 42 in. (71.1 x 106.7cm)Frost & Reed, London, United Kingdom (per label verso) J.J. Gillespie, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (per label verso). Private Collection, Alabama. NOTE: While he never received formal art training, Montague Dawson became one of the most commercially successful British marine painters of the 20th century. Best known for his vast output of skillfully composed ship portraits, Dawson was first exposed to art by his father and grandfather (both successful marine painters) before joining a London art studio. Soon thereafter he joined the Royal Navy at the inception of World War I, serving again in World War II as an official war artist. Later in life, Dawson regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Royal Society of Marine Artists. His vast knowledge of ships allowed him to populate his works with all manner of marine vessels, including clippers, frigates, warships, racing cruisers, tankers, U-boats and packets, which he painted in high detail with great technical accuracy. The present work, depicting a large vessel sailing on a calm sea at night, represents a rarity in Dawson's œuvre as the artist generally preferred to paint ships caught in a storm or engaged in battle.