Montague Dawson
1890-1973 | British

The Pioneer, The Nonsuch

Signed “Montague Dawson” (lower left)
Oil on canvas

The dynamism of the seas and the might of the clipper ships that brave their waters are captured with great accuracy and attention to detail in this monumental work by Montague Dawson. Here, the artist brings vividly to life the historic ketch ship The Nonsuch as it battles the waves on the open sea. Dawson, arguably the most important maritime painter of his generation, possessed an incomparable talent for rendering ships at sea with unparalleled energy and vitality. The speed and grace of these historic ships are perfectly realized in the present work, enhanced by Dawson's mastery over composition and the large scale of the painting.

First launched in 1650, the merchant ship Nonsuch arrived in Hudson Bay in 1668 under the command of Zachariah Gillam to establish a trading route. This maiden voyage laid the groundwork for the incorporation of the Hudson's Bay Company under English royal charter two years later, which remains the oldest corporation in Canada today. Initially crucial in the Company's endeavors in fur trading, the Nonsuch would later serve as the Royal Navy ketch HMS Nonsuch.

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.

Early 20th century