Montague J. Dawson

1884-1973

British

Dawson was born in 1890 into a family of artists, with his grandfather and uncle both being well-known marine and landscape painters. He received no formal training, but created art constantly through his childhood, often being inspired by scenes he witnessed on the harbor of Southampton Water, the south England town where he grew up. By 1910, Dawson was working as a commercial artist.

When World War I broke out, Dawson enlisted in the Royal Navy, experiencing firsthand the realities of life on the high seas. By the end of the war, he was putting his painting skills to good use, working on dazzle camouflage on British battleships, which was used to disorient U-Boat gunners. He also painted scenes of the war at sea based on what he had witnessed. These were often featured in magazines, and an entire issue of The Sphere magazine was devoted to his illustrations of the German fleet’s surrender in 1918. Following the war, Dawson found success as a marine painter. He continued to paint from life as he had in the war, even serving as the official expedition artist for a voyage to the South Seas; however, he primarily focused on painting historical pieces.

Montague J. Dawson

Objects

Dawson, Montague J. 1884-1973

Baltimore Clipper Ann McKim

20th century