Deep Pacific by Montague Dawson

Montague Dawson
1895-1973 | British

Deep Pacific — China Clipper Maitland

Signed “Montague Dawson” (lower left) and titled "Deep Pacific, China Clipper Maitland Built in 1865" (en verso)
Oil on canvas

The Maitland, an historic China tea clipper, is this subject of this impressive maritime work by Montague Dawson. The artist was 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 Maitland are perfectly realized in the present work, enhanced by Dawson's skill at photorealism and mastery over composition.

Dawson was drawn to the thrill of life on the water from a young age. He was the son of an avid Thames yachtsman, and spent many hours aboard the family cutter. His talent for art came from his grandfather, Henry Dawson, who was a successful landscape painter. Though he was never formally trained, Dawson embarked on a program of self-instruction that included a study of the masters, and his career flourished thanks to his work illustrating naval ships during World War I.

Dawson's popularity as an artist became so great that the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, VA opened a wing devoted to his works in 1975. Queen Elizabeth II, Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson, and the Sultan of Morocco all owned paintings by Dawson. His yacht paintings were also eagerly acquired by and displayed in the collections of the Vanderbilts and Sopwiths. At the height of his career, it is believed he was the second-highest paid living artist in the world — second only to Pablo Picasso. Following his death in 1973, his paintings only became more sought after. Today, the work of Montague Dawson is represented in the North Carolina Museum of Art, the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, the Southampton City Art Gallery and the Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth, among many others.

Canvas: 24" high x 36 1/8" wide
Frame: 31" high x 43" wide