The Atlantic Packet Albion of the Black Ball Line by Montague Dawson

Montague Dawson
1890–1973 | British

The Atlantic Packet Albion of the Black Ball Line

Signed "Montague Dawson" (lower left)
Oil on canvas

Montague Dawson’s The Atlantic Packet Albion of the Black Ball Line depicts one of the celebrated transatlantic packet ships that revolutionized maritime travel in the 19th century. Established in 1817, the Black Ball Line was the first company to operate on a fixed schedule between New York and Liverpool, a radical innovation that enhanced the reliability of global trade and helped secure New York’s status as a world port. 

The Albion was among the line’s earliest and most storied vessels and in this composition, she surges forward under a brilliant sky, sails taut against the Atlantic winds. Dawson’s vigorous brushwork captures the restless motion of the sea, the churning blues and greens of the waves set in dramatic contrast to the luminous whites of the rigging and sails. The angled hull and driving momentum embody the spirit of progress that defined the Black Ball Line, while the artist’s technical precision and sensitivity to mood affirm his reputation as one of the greatest marine painters of the 20th century.

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, 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. Dawson was present at the final surrender of the German Grand 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. During the Second World War, he was employed as a war artist and again worked for The Sphere. Dawson exhibited regularly at the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the Royal Academy from 1917 to 1936. By the 1930s, he was considered the greatest living marine painter. His patrons included two American Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as the British Royal Family.

Painted 1947

Canvas: 23 1/2” high x 43 1/2” wide (59.69 x 110.49 cm)
Frame: 32 1/2” high x 52 1/2“ wide x 3 1/2" deep (82.55 x 133.35 x 8.89 cm)

Provenance:
Frost & Reed, Ltd., Bristol and London, England, stock no. 5276
Private collection, New York
Private collection, Los Angeles