The Pursuit of Rommel by Montague Dawson

Montague Dawson
1890–1973 | British

The Pursuit of Rommel

Signed "Montague Dawson" (lower right)
Oil on board

Epic in its sense of endurance and resolve, The Pursuit of Rommel stands as one of Montague Dawson’s most powerful and unexpected achievements. Renowned for his mastery of the sea, Dawson here turns his formidable skill toward the vast deserts of North Africa, capturing a pivotal moment in World War II when the course of the conflict—and British morale—began to shift. Executed in black and white for wartime newspaper publication, the stark palette heightens the drama and gravity of the scene, transforming the North African campaign into a vision of mythic endurance and resolve.

The composition unfolds beneath a stark, moonlit sky, where the British Eighth Army under General Montgomery advances through an unforgiving wilderness of sand, rock and shadow. Dawson renders the desert as a colossal force in itself, carved by immense ravines and escarpments so vast they appear capable of swallowing entire towns. A solitary Grant tank stands on the rugged terrain, overlooking the deep ravine. The landscape conveys both the physical brutality of the campaign and the psychological toll borne by the advancing forces.

The scene depicts the relentless pursuit of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the famed “Desert Fox,” following his defeat at the Second Battle of El Alamein. Forced into an almost continuous 350-mile withdrawal across Libya and Tunisia, Rommel sought to preserve what remained of his men and machines, yet the losses proved catastrophic. The British advance—marked by sandstorms and impassable ravines—became a test of endurance as much as strategy. Winston Churchill would later describe this phase of the war as “the end of the beginning,” a turning point that restored hope to a nation long accustomed to hardship and defeat. Dawson’s painting captures that tonal shift, embedding optimism and determination within an epic vision of war.

Although celebrated during his lifetime as the preeminent marine painter of his era, Montague Dawson was also a gifted and perceptive war artist. During both World Wars, he worked extensively for The Sphere, producing images that translated complex military events into compelling visual narratives for the public. His firsthand naval experience during World War I, combined with his ability to convey scale, motion and atmosphere, made him uniquely suited to the task. In The Pursuit of Rommel, Dawson applies these strengths to land rather than sea, demonstrating that his command of drama, light and composition extended far beyond maritime subjects. Rare within his oeuvre, Dawson’s wartime landscapes stand among his most evocative and historically resonant works.

Circa 1942

Canvas: 12 5/8" high x 22 1/2" wide (32.07 x 57.15 cm)
Frame: 19 3/8" high x 29 3/8" wide x 2 7/8" deep (49.21 x 74.61 x 7.30 cm)

Provenance:
Private collection, Nova Scotia
M.S. Rau, New Orleans