Fought 80 miles west of Denmark on May 31, 1916, the Battle of Jutland was the largest challenge for supremacy of the seas since the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Capturing a pivotal moment of the World War I naval battle, Montague Dawson paints the German High Seas Fleet, under command of Admiral Reinhard Scheer, perform a daring and untested full speed turn in unison to escape the range of the British Grand Fleet under command of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe on the horizon.

The first salvos saw the Germans destroy five British ships of Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty’s scouting command in less than a minute, but the encounter had drawn the German Fleet in range of the Grand Fleet. To escape the trap, Scheer ordered the German column to all turn at once, rather than executing a traditional corpen, thus avoiding each having to turn in succession and face annihilation.

Both sides claimed victory, and with 250 ships combined, the British suffered 6,945 casualties and the Germans 2,921 in the 30-minute engagement. The German Fleet was forced to retreat to their base and never again engage the Royal Navy. Dawson captures the moment’s intensity, with artillery smoke and intentional smoke-screens, the exploding rounds landing amongst the warships, and the overhead perspective illuminating the enormity of the ocean and numerous ships in this conflict. An epic painting of the greatest naval battle of modern times.

An armored battle cruiser of the British Royal Navy is hailed by the crew of a sailing merchant ship enjoying the spectacular view of the fierce “guardian” of our scene, H.M.S. HOOD. The artist Montague Dawson had previously captured earlier naval scenes in WWI as a officer in the Royal Navy and had gone on to paint as his full-time profession to great acclaim, allied with the Frost & Reed gallery of London. Here he has revisited his early passion, warships of the Empire, with the hostilities of WWII laying in wait around the corner.

With her stark profile and specific 4 15-inch gun pairs amongst her armaments, this can only be H.M.S. HOOD, an epic member of the British Admiralty. Launched in 1918, she was the first and only battle cruiser of her class completed. HOOD blended the armaments of a full battleship, following the lead of such famous warships as IRON DUKE and QUEEN ELIZABETH, with speeds previous unmatched and a lighter array of armor. When launched out of the John Brown Yard at Clydebank on August 22, 1918 she was the largest and most powerful member of the British Navy.

Dawson illustrates both ships beautifully, in a contrast of the ages with the traditional deck scene in deep tones and the superior speed of the battle cruiser throwing spray in her wake through the Atlantic Ocean. HOOD would sail into infamy in her confrontation with the German Battleship BISMARK, when a long range shot would ignite munitions on deck and destroy the British warship in 1941. This is a beautiful narrative tribute to her legacy.

A superior extreme tea clipper of the Sampson & Tappan Fleet, WINGED RACER launched into a career of fast voyages, acclaim, and ultimately a terrible final fate. Birthed out of the East Boston Yard of Robert Jackson in the winter of 1852, from the design of Samuel Pook, she has the largest clipper of the Samson & Tappan Line, following their three clippers of renown built by Donald McKay: STAG HOUND, FLYING FISH and WESTWARD HO. The George Upton-led company, partnering with John and Robert Forbes and others, led the sailing trades to California, India and the Far East.

WINGED RACER was by all accounts, including this inspired work of art by Montgaue Dawson, a beautiful ship with the sharp lines and a clipper bow that was inspired by the speedy pilot schooners. Her maiden voyage was a Cape Horn run to California in a fast 108 days, and she would sail the route again in 1853 and 1861. Like most 1850s clippers, she continued on through to Hawaii and on to Manilla and China before completing the round the world voyages back to her Boston home port. Dawson has created a remarkable work of art, with a driven, crashing sea bucking and challenging the skill of the fast clipper ship’s crew. After her 1861 run to California, she hit ice off Annapolis, delaying her sailing to the Far East nine months. She sailed out in Dec. 1862, and after preparing a return voyage of sugar, coffee and cigars to New York under the command of Captain George Cumming, she was captured and burned by the Confederate Raider ALABAMA on Nov. 10, 1863. Thanks to Dawson, her glory lives on.

The personal Dragon-Class Yacht of Queen Elizabeth and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, BLUEBOTTLE was gifted to the royal couple as a wedding present in 1948 by the Island Sailing Club of Cowes, the same year the Swedish designed yacht-class was accepted into the Olympic Games. Shown at the tiller with two companions, Prince Philip sails of the English coast before two other dragons, her D K192 designation visible and proud on the mainsail.

Built by the esteemed firm of Camper and Nicholson, the sharp yacht carries a Bermuda Sloop rig, and measures 29' in overall length with 18'6" at the waterline, quite a pronounced and sharp shape. The wood planking on timbers was a tight 6'4" beam with a 3'11" draught, making for a speedy and highly maneuverable sailing craft. BLUEBOTTLE would win an Olympic Bronze medal in 1956. She still summer sails occasionally today as part of the National Maritime Museum Collection, on loan from the Duke of Edinburgh.

Paintings by Montague Dawson continue to be in high demand. We strongly believe that as well as the yacht, the painting was owned at one time by Prince Philip himself. The scarcity of yachting scenes make any which come up for sale highly desirable. This composition is quite accomplished of a subject which Dawson painted two other known paintings, with one being reproduced as a limited print in 1953. His artistic excellence is apparent throughout this fine yachting scene.

A fine work of art by the prolific Montague Dawson has a Royal Navy Revenue Ship of the British government chasing a full bodied brigantine carrying unknown goods in this dynamic scene. The drama shown of the men aloft and outward on the booms working the jib sails in interesting and full of danger, especially considering the muzzle flash and splash of the “taxmen” cannons. It is a rare Dawson painting to show deck activity and ships engaged in a pursuit. Dawson said he himself “battled” through his blank canvases, from sketches, models and preliminary paintings to deliver his masterpieces. He was known for working day and night, driven to succeed and finding a personal joy at his chosen profession. As a young man his family lived in Southampton in the residence known then and now as “The Smuggler’s House”, and he served firsthand in the British Navy Reserve and was well familiar with the last sail/steam warships of the British Navy. Likely he’d have held sympathy for both crews he has painted in this exceptional marine narrative.

In the action, possibly taking place in the English Channel near “The Downs”, a known haven for smugglers, Dawson’s Revenue Service men have sighted and sprung upon a brigantine. It appears they themselves are sailing a barque, as it appears to have two sets of yards with stunsails set. Under a wicked sky, the ships, sea and setting radiate with the romance of high seas adventure.

The strength of such a painting as this original scene by Montague Dawson is in its combination of mystery and familiarity. This is what Dawson does best. He had a single identity for the merchant racing ship, and her distant follower on the horizon for that matter. This ship is most probably the Clipper OBERON, a storied ship in the China and Australian Trades, as the figurehead is a near perfect match with a known Dawson painting of that Ship. Dawson made models and preliminary sketches for many paintings he would produce, and would revisit ships he admired. In another painting that is very similar to this work, “Clipper Days” it’s the ORIENT that’s featured, while an image that was titled “Up Channel” and widely reproduced shows the Clipper LAHLOO in her glory.

Showing the crew hard at work on the bow rail, the essence of speed is with the clipper, her stunsails wide and nearly every sheet available on the three masts. The English Channel allusion of the title means that the ship is headed home, after many months abroad, and loaded with precious cargo. Wispy trails in the sky show a strong breeze and a clear path, as she beat the rival to port soundly. The wooden sailing ship is hard-driven, performing as her captain and owner demanded.

Dawson’s mastery of detail and composition make this a fine work. His recognition as one of the world’s leading marine artists is enhanced by such traditional devices as the rolling bow wave and rhythmic pace of the swells within his blue sea. His recognizable technique comes forth on his following in the British Sea traditions of C. Napier Hemy and Thomas Somerscales.