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Montague Dawson

Artist Biography

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Montague Dawson

Montague Dawson was unquestionably one of the greatest sea painters of the 20th century, his art, prints and posters known world-wide. Born in Chiswick, London, to a family of sea-farers; his father, Henry T. Dawson, was an engineer and sea captain, while his grandfather, Henry Dawson, was a well known sea and landscape artist. At an early age, Montague moved with his family to Smuggler's House, Southampton, in order to be closer to the sea. The family not only owned their own cutters, but participated in many boating events.

Montague Dawson was a basically a self-taught artist, but in 1910 he joined an art studio in Bedford Row, London, that produced art, prints, posters and illustrations. In 1914, at the outbreak of World War I, Dawson enlisted in the Royal Navy. As an Officer he became closely associated with Officer Charles Napier Hemy – the great maritime artist. Hemy became Dawson's tutor and, as such, had a profound influence on his work. Throughout WWI and WWII, Dawson supplied the magazine Sphere with monochrome illustrations of historical events of the wars. Sphere devoted an entire issue to Dawson's portrayal of the German Grand Fleet's surrender in WWI. It was these illustrations that brought him the notoriety necessary to secure his place as a highly regarded painter of historical maritime subjects and portraits of deep-water sailing vessels.

From the 1920s until his death, Montague Dawson was represented exclusively by art dealers. Through them he became known as king of the Clipper-Ship School and was appreciated for his uncanny ability to orchestrate the interrelationship of sky, sea and vessel through his art, prints and posters. His works were collected by such notable individuals as Sir Thomas Sopwith, Queen Elizabeth, Mr. Vanderbilt and President Eisenhower, among others. During his life, Dawson donated 10 of his paintings to the Imperial War Museum.

Montague Dawson Art, Prints and Posters Collection