Montague Dawson demonstrates his skill for capturing the dynamism of the seas in this monumental oil on canvas, bringing vividly to life a clipper ship race on the open water. This is among the largest paintings ever composed by the artist, and every inch of the work pays homage to the beauty of ships at full sail. Montague Dawson is 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 Lightning and Red Jacket are perfectly realized in the present work, enhanced by Dawson's skill at photorealism and mastery over composition.

The Lightning and the Red Jacket were U.S. clipper ships built in 1853 and 1854 that sailed in the Australia trade, and both were known for their impressive size and speed. At the height of the grand clipper ship era in the mid-19th century, ships would often compete in informal races as they carried their cargo. Lightning left Boston for Liverpool on February 18, 1854, followed the next day by Red Jacket sailing from New York. The ships both entered Liverpool harbor on March 4, but incredibly, Red Jacket beat Lightning by 18 hours, setting the speed record for ships sailing across the Atlantic. In this work, Dawson has chosen to depict Red Jacket on the distant horizon behind Lightning, foreshadowing her eventual, unlikely win.

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 Rhode Island 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.