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MACCONNAL-MASON
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MONTAGUE DAWSON
ESTABLISHED 1893
MACCONNAL-MASON
14 & 17 Duke Street
St James’s
London
SW1Y 6DB
Tel: + 44 (0)20 7839 7693
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7839 6797
www.macconnal-mason.com
[email protected]
Chairman: David L. Mason, O.B.E.
Directors: David M. Mason, Simon Carter, Marcus Halliwell, Michael Grist
Gallery Manager: Richard Pikesley
MONTAGUE DAWSON
FOREWORD
Montague Dawson has always been a very special artist to me. I met him on several occasions in his
heyday in the late 50’s and 60’s and have always been full of admiration for his work.
Widely recognised as the foremost marine painter of the twentieth century he was, in my view, an
artist of consummate skill and talent. Whether “Monty” was painting the imposing clippers of the
tea trade or yachts battling over the America’s Cup, he brought an intimate knowledge of the vessels
and their rigging along with a first-hand knowledge of blue water sailing.
I am extraordinarily proud to be able to present this rich and diverse collection of Dawsons,
numbering amongst them some of the artist’s favourite works – it is a collection of which Dawson
himself would have been justly proud.
I must also express my sincere gratitude to Colin White for his generous assistance and contribution
to this catalogue.
We are, of course, temporary custodians of these wonderful paintings, all of which are for sale and
we welcome any enquiries.
Montague Dawson, RSMA, FRSA
(1895-1973)
David L. Mason, O.B.E.
Chairman.
INTRODUCTION
In the four centuries of nautical history that Dawson depicts, Marine subjects were generally painted
in a formulaic and conventional manner. In stark contrast, Dawson’s work is characterised by an
extraordinary vitality with an almost cinematic sense of scale and drama; be it on the deck of a clipper
fighting its way through the teeth of a gale, in the trough of a wave with a square-rigger towering
above, or as a spectator to the majesty of the J-Class yachts, the viewer experiences the very essence
of life on the world’s oceans.
Dawson’s ability to observe, understand and render the everchanging sea, its myriad forms and moods, is simply
unparalleled, and it is as important a compositional element
as the vessel sailing on it. Whether creating a glassy calm,
mountainous wave or boiling spray, the deftness of
Dawson’s touch is as much a signature as the writing of his
name. Understanding the inextricable, meteorological link,
his portrayal of the sky warrants equal attention; towering
cumulus clouds over a gale force sea, the golden haze of a
sunset after a storm, the impenetrable grey cloak over an
Atlantic tempest, or cirrus clouds high above a perfect calm,
are all conveyed with the same brilliant elemental
observation.
Taken as a whole, the above elements create paintings that are,
at once, fascinating, diverse, nautically accurate and most
importantly, rich in atmospheric narrative. It is this that
arguably makes Dawson’s work so accessible; as Dawson
himself explained,
‘…it must be a composition which includes the sky, the clouds
and the sea. People want a ship as a point of focus and interest.
But I only look on the ship as part of the whole composition…I
am after the atmosphere in the elements… ‘
Montague Dawson, Tommy Steele and Sir
Francis Chichester at the latter’s tribute
exhibition at Frost & Reed
It is an approach that can be compared to his contemporary, Sir
Alfred Munnings (1878-1959). Much like Marine art, Equestrian
and Sporting subjects had, for centuries, been portrayed with a stale, formality, devoid of life, light
and movement. Like Dawson, Munnings had an intimate knowledge of his subject, and while his
ability to portray equestrian anatomy is beyond doubt, he puts an equal emphasis on environment,
feeling and atmosphere; the anticipation of the start at Ascot in high summer, the peace of a hack
across Exmoor at dusk, the exhilaration of the hunt on a crisp, winter’s day. It is this ability to capture
and convey the emotional essence of all aspects of their subject that has elevated both artists well
above their respective genres and explains their lasting legacy and enduring appeal.
President Eisenhower admiring Dawson’s work,
The Constellation and l’Insurgent, a gift from
Governor Theodore McKeldin
Having served in the Navy during World War I, Dawson had
intimate, first-hand knowledge of war ships, he was also a keen sailor and supplemented his
knowledge of clipper ships by acquiring an impressive collection of ship models. These lived in his
studio and ensured every aspect of these complex vessels – rigging, planking, sail patterns – were
faithfully drafted.
Often requiring close inspection, the human aspect of his work is also rendered with exquisite
attention to detail; drawing on his encyclopaedic knowledge, crewmen of clippers, yachts or warships
are all beautifully observed.
Much of Dawson’s style can be attributed to the influence of Charles Napier Hemy (1841-1917) whose
depictions of coastal life had a marked effect on the young artist. Hemy’s intimate works were created
on a studio boat from which he observed the fishing fleets and pleasure craft around Falmouth. The
young Lieutenant Dawson visited while on leave and Hemy clearly recognised the potential in his
young charge telling him, ‘you must follow after me and do better than me.’
The end of World War I allowed Dawson to devote all his time and energy to painting. Initially
working in watercolour, he soon moved onto oil paint and began to develop the broad, deft and
vivid brushstrokes that would become the hallmark of his mature style and finest work. Ever-willing
to improve his knowledge of the subject he crewed on a number of ships, including North Sea fishing
vessels, thus gaining personal experience of the harshness of working life at sea.
Around this time he also set sail for the Caribbean on
the yacht St. George, which had previously been owned by
Kaiser Wilhelm III. Dawson’s practical sailing ability
increased immeasurably, as did his experience of the sea,
sailing, as they did, through a typhoon which dislodged some
of the yacht’s spars.
In 1925, Dawson married Doris Mary who, three years later,
gave birth to their daughter, Nyria, named unsurprisingly
after the J-Class yacht. It was also around this period that
his lifelong association with Frost & Reed began. This was a
turning point in Dawson’s career and their promotion of his
work was such that, by 1930 he was enjoying success and
acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 1934, Dawson bought a house called Dawes Stream in
Milford-on-Sea but moved to a larger house on the coast three
years later. He had a studio built in the garden where he
Earl Mountbatten with Dawson at his
would work for the rest of his life. Following the outbreak of
exhibition in 1959.
World War II, local residents found themselves living on one
of the prime sites for a German invasion. Consequently the population fell drastically but Dawson
and his family resolved to stay put and he set about numerous commissions, depicting the war at
sea, which were published in The Sphere magazine.
After the war, Dawson went from strength to strength; he had an extraordinarily disciplined work
ethic, rising before dawn and heading to his studio in order to get in a few hours painting before
breakfast. He would then break for lunch and dinner before returning to his studio, rarely
emerging before the small hours. He received unstinting support from his wife and daughter who
went to great pains to ensure that nothing disturbed or distracted Dawson from the task at hand.
Nyria recounts with fond good humour that the success or failure of a painting would dictate
the general mood of the house.
Such dedication though reaped remarkable rewards. The extraordinary demand for his work from
around the world grew unceasingly, affording Dawson celebrity status. At the pinnacle of his
success in the 1960s Dawson was reportedly earning around £100,000 a year, only surpassed in
terms of artist’s income, by Picasso. His patrons included Queen Elizabeth II, Presidents Eisenhower
and Johnson as well as the Sultan of Morocco along with the Sopwith and Vanderbilt families,
owners of the legendary yachts which battled so magnificently in the golden era of the America’s
Cup. He also painted a haunting tribute, entitled Horn Abeam, following Francis Chichester’s
circumnavigation of the globe in 1967.
One of his most important patrons was the 1st Earl
Mountbatten of Burma who had served in the Navy
with great distinction. In World War II Mountbatten
commanded HMS Kelly who saw fierce action in
both the Norwegian and Mediterranean campaigns,
which Dawson paid tribute to in his painting, The
Stricken Kelly.
She was sunk off Crete in May 1941 with the loss of
nearly half her crew. Deeply affected by the loss, the
survivors formed the Kelly Reunion Association.
Years later Mountbatten was the guest of honour at
the opening of a Dawson exhibition at Frost & Reed.
The Stricken Kelly by Montague Dawson
Colin White, a director there who would later join the board of MacConnal-Mason, quietly arranged
for the surviving members of the Association to be present; this unexpected reunion with his former
crew left Mountbatten quite overcome.
Dawson painted virtually until his death in 1973. An interview with journalist, Edward Matthews,
provides a clear insight into the drive and passion of this remarkable artist;
‘I have always painted ships by instinct, there is something that has always interested me about the
sea. It’s something I have, something I can’t define. I see an effect and paint it. But I cannot predict
what I am going to do, and this is half the joy.’
1
Atlantic Packet – The ‘Devonshire’, 1859
Signed
Oil on Canvas
40 x 50 inches – 101.6 x 127 cms
Provenance:
with Frost & Reed Ltd., London;
Corporate Collection, Los Angeles;
Private Collection, USA
The Atlantic packets were primarily trans-Atlantic passenger vessels, which also carried huge
quantities of mail in the early 19th Century. As such they provided an important link which went
some way to mending relations between Britain and the US following the conflict around the turn
of the century.
Built in New York in 1848 by Westervelt and Mackey for the Black X line, the Devonshire soon earned
an enviable reputation for reliability and speed. Her fastest crossing took just nineteen days and she
never took longer than forty-one. For much of her career she was commanded by Captain Henry
Russell Hovey (1816-1871) who oversaw a remarkable rescue in November 1850. Sailing off the coast
of Nova Scotia, the crew of the Devonshire spotted a recently launched German vessel, the Helena
Sloman, listing badly and taking on water, having suffered severe damage in heavy seas. In spite of
the atrocious conditions all the passengers and crew were safely transferred to the Devonshire, save
nine lives who were lost when one of her lifeboats crashed into the stricken ship.
The present work shows the Devonshire battling through a fearsome Atlantic storm, the granite
coloured sea and impenetrable cloud create an almost Turneresque maelstrom. The dramatic power
of the painting is made all the more intense by the perspective, with the majority of the large scale
canvas dedicated to sea and sky, while the vessel herself is relatively small and obscured, creating a
terrifying sense of vulnerability.
‘You have to respect your subject, be almost frightened by it.
There is nothing like the boil and swell of rough sea.’
2
Bird of Dawn – The ‘Sir Lancelot’
Signed; titled on a label on the stretcher
Oil on Canvas
28 x 42¼ inches – 71.1 x 107.3 cms
Provenance:
Mrs Duthie, Inverness;
with MacConnal-Mason Gallery, London;
Estate of Mr. Robert M. Long, California, USA
Regarded as one of the most elegant clipper ships, the Sir Lancelot was built in 1865 by Robert Steele
& Co. of Greenock. Like most clippers built at that time she was of composite construction with
wooden planking over an iron frame. 197 feet in length, 33 feet abeam and weighing 886 tonnes she
is often considered the sister ship to the legendary Ariel, who was built in the same year at Steele’s
shipyard.
Her first captain was Richard ‘Dickie’ Robinson who had proved himself aboard the Fiery Cross, the
winning clipper in the tea races between 1861 and 1863, and again in 1865. In 1869 the Sir Lancelot
set a new record under Robinson’s command; leaving Foochow on 17th July, she passed Gravesend
on 13th October and docked the following day, having completed the voyage in eighty-nine days.
By the 1880s, she was making regular passages from Mauritius to India, and the Persian Gulf, with
cargoes of sugar and rice, as well as transporting salt to Rangoon. In 1886 she was bought by Visram
Ibrahim, a Parsee merchant who sold her onto Persian owners in 1895, but she foundered in a cyclone
off Calcutta in October of that year.
The present work has a strangely serene quality to it; as twilight falls, clearing skies and carrying
seas suggest heavy weather has passed while the red sunset promises high pressure and fairer
conditions to come.
3
Shimmering Seas – ‘Evaine’ and ‘Sceptre’
Signed
Oil on Canvas
30 x 50 inches – 76.2 x 127 cms
Provenance:
Guy Lawrence
Private Collection, UK
Literature:
L. G. G. Ramsey, Montague Dawson, RSMA, FRSA, Leigh-on-Sea,
1967, p.28, Cat. No.74, pl.16, illustrated
The present work depicts the Royal Yacht Squadron’s America’s Cup Challenger, Sceptre (K17), during
a trial race against Evaine (K2) in the Solent in July 1958. Both of the 12-metre class, Evaine belonged
to the well known businessman and yachtsman Owen Aisher, whose family building firm, Marley
Ltd., was internationally renowned, providing materials for the Mulberry Harbours prior to D-Day.
Racing off the coast of Studland Bay, with the Isle of Wight on the horizon, Sceptre’s crew, under
helmsman Lieutenant-Commander Graham Mann, RN produced an encouragingly polished
performance, having previously been accused of disunity. Their victory was all the more remarkable
due to the relatively light conditions which would seemingly have favoured Evaine. Such was
Sceptre’s command that having reached the mark, she circled it twice in practise, and still finished
some minutes clear of her competitor.
In the ensuing America’s Cup series, held off Newport, Rhode Island, Sceptre was soundly beaten
by the American yacht Columbia, but enjoyed great success in domestic competitions in the 1960s. In
the 1970s she was refitted as a cruising yacht and unlike many yachts from that glorious era, still
sails today.
4
‘Weatherly’ and ‘Gretel’ off Newport, America’s Cup, 1962
Signed
Oil on Canvas
27¾ x 42 inches – 70.4 x 106.6 cms
Provenance:
with Frost & Reed Ltd., London;
with Kennedy Galleries, Inc., New York;
Corporate Collection, California
President Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy
watching Weatherly and Gretel
The 1962 America’s Cup was one of the most closely fought in the competition’s history. The
challenger, Gretel (KA11), was designed and built by Alan Payne for Sir Frank Packer, the first
Australian boat to take on the New York Yacht Club. Weatherly (US17) was commissioned by Henry
D. Mercer, designed by Philip Rhodes and built by A.E. ‘Bill’ Luders Jnr. in Stamford, Connecticut.
She was originally intended for the 1958 event but was beaten by Columbia in the pre-race trials.
Following this setback refinements were made to her design and her results improved accordingly.
Some 2,500 spectators watched the opening race of the series, President and Mrs Kennedy amongst
them, protection for whom, was provided by the US Naval flotilla visible on the horizon. JFK was at
college with Weatherly’s skipper, Emil ‘Bus’ Mosbacher; following Weatherly’s five to four victory,
Mosbacher was toasted by Kennedy at the America’s Cup Ball and presented with an autographed
photograph of the President saluting the victorious crew.
5
Stunsails Pulling – The ‘Oberon’
Signed
Oil on Canvas
30 x 50 inches – 76.2 x 127 cms
Provenance:
with Frost & Reed Ltd., London;
Corporate Collection, California;
By whom gifted to a California Institute
Literature:
R. Ranson, The Maritime Paintings of Montague Dawson, Devon, 1993, p.90
The Oberon was built in Glasgow in 1869 for Shaw, Lowther and Maxton of London. Like her sister
ships, Ariel and Titania, she was built expressly for speed. 241 feet in length, 36 feet abeam and of a
composite design with teak planking over an iron frame, a contemporary account described her hull
as being ‘…as smooth as glass’.
She was also originally fitted with two 120 horse power, screw engines but these proved to be
incredibly cumbersome; in her first two voyages, under the command of Captain Keay who had
previously captained Ariel, she reached a paltry top speed of seven knots. The engines were removed
and her sail pattern increased dramatically, following which her speed soon became evident; sailing
from Melbourne to London in seventy-four days, from California to Liverpool in ninety-four days
and an extraordinary voyage from London to California via New Zealand in one hundred and twenty
one days. In 1874 she also established a new record for a voyage between London and Melbourne.
With the beautifully observed and myriad complexity of the sea, dramatic, striated sky and stunsails
of the title harnessing nature’s power, the present work is quite simply one of Dawson’s most
accomplished renderings of the mighty clippers.
‘Of all ships, the clipper thrills me the most, there is terrific romance in sail…the beauty of
a sailing ship bowling along in a spanking breeze – the hum and thrill of the sails.’
6
Trimming the Sails
Signed
Oil on Canvas
28 x 42 inches – 71 x 106.8 cms
Provenance:
with Closson’s, Cincinnati;
with Harry F. Marks Galleries, Palm Beach;
Private Collection, Texas, USA
With their striking perspective and dramatic narrative, Dawson’s deck scenes are undoubtedly some
of his most rare, distinguished and acclaimed paintings.
Placing the viewer virtually on the deck of a clipper provides a powerful and awe-inspiring insight
into the life of the crew and the extraordinary perils they faced. It also demands an almost
encyclopaedic knowledge of sail patterns and rigging as well as the challenge of foreshortening the
deck surface and housing.
The present work is a superb example as the crew cling on for dear life while battling to haul in sail
on mountainous seas which stream across the deck. Despite the vessel climbing a vast wall of water
there is a sense of optimism, as they head out of the storm.
‘You have to get life into a marine painting to make a ship move through the water,
be lifted by the waves.’
7
The Blackwall Frigate, ‘Walmer Castle’
Signed
Oil on Canvas
40 x 50 inches – 101.6 x 127 cms
Provenance:
with Frost & Reed, London;
Private Collection, UK
Literature:
L. G. G. Ramsey, Montague Dawson, RSMA, FRSA,
Leigh-on-Sea, 1967, p.46, Cat. No.227
The Walmer Castle was commissioned by Green’s of London and proved to be an extremely successful
addition to their Indian trading fleet, which consisted primarily of Blackwall frigates, although she
was actually designed and built at William Pile’s shipyard in Sunderland in 1853; 192 feet long, 35
feet abeam and weighing 1064 tonnes.
Her first voyages involved year-long sailings to Melbourne, following which she was chartered by
the army as a troop ship, during the Indian mutiny of 1857. Over the next decade she made annual
trips returning to India, docking at Calcutta and Madras before proceeding to China. She was
destroyed by fire on Christmas Day 1876 whilst taking on supplies in Semarang, on the coast of Java.
The majesty and impact of the present work owes much to Dawson’s mastery of perspective; despite
the amorphous and irregular nature of wave and cloud, both sea and skyscape are perfectly rendered
and observed. The Walmer Castle is in profile, yet sailing on the port tack, thus displaying the full
extent of her sail pattern, creating a magnificent evocation of the Golden Age of Sail.
8
Moonlight Shadows – The ‘Southern Cross’
Signed
Oil on Canvas
28 x 42 inches – 71 x 106.8 cms
Provenance:
Corporate Collection, St. Paul, Minnesota;
Private Collection, Texas, USA
The Southern Cross was launched from East Boston on 19th March 1851. She was commissioned by
Baker & Morill and built in the shipyard of E & H.O. Briggs.170 feet long and 36 foot abeam her
figurehead was a beautifully carved eagle in full flight. She made regular passages between Boston
and San Francisco, with a record sailing of 116 days in 1856, before finally being captured by the
confederate raider Florida in 1863 whilst bound for New York.
Nocturnes such as the present work are, like the deck scenes, a rare and important part of Dawson’s
oeuvre. The skies clear to reveal an extraordinarily numerous and bright stellar display, suggesting
perhaps a location in the Southern oceans. Vulnerability and isolation are a hallmark of Dawson’s
work, with vessels fighting their way through raging seas, amidst the vastness of the world’s oceans,
and the astral backdrop in the present work heightens this sense still further.
Much of the movement in Dawson’s work is owed to his almost unique ability to render light on
water; in this case light from the moon, stars and the red glow of the port lantern play across the
gentle chop. Every inch of sail is set, and reflects in the moonlight with an almost ghostly
luminescence creating a painting that is at once serene yet tantalizingly atmospheric.
9
Billowing Sails – The ‘Cutty Sark’
Signed
Oil on Canvas
20½ x 301⁄3 inches – 52 x 77 cms
Provenance:
with Watson Art Galleries, Montreal;
Private Collection, UK
The Cutty Sark was one of the few vessels to challenge Thermopylae. Built on the Clyde in 1869 for the
Jock Willis Shipping Line she was exceptionally fast, her record being 363 nautical miles in twentyfour hours.
Her name literally means ‘little shirt’ and comes from Robbie Burns’ famous poem ‘Tam o’Shanter’;
riding home from a tavern late one night, Tam passes a graveyard where a coven of witches are
dancing around the Devil himself. Spotting a particularly beautiful witch, Nannie, Tam cannot
contain himself and shouts, ‘Weel done, Cutty Sark’. He is then pursued but, knowing witches cannot
cross running water, he makes haste for the bridge which he crosses just as Nannie gets hold of his
horse’s tail, which is wrenched off. Cutty Sark’s figurehead was based on Nannie, and to celebrate
this, and bring good fortune on a voyage, rope would be fashioned into a ‘horse’s tail’ and placed in
her outstretched hand.
The present work perfectly illustrates Dawson’s ability to convey the marriage between sea, sky and
vessel which is rendered with beautiful detail against a backdrop of running clouds, through a sea
that is alive with swell and spray. By placing the clipper slightly off centre and in profile, Dawson
draws the eye across the canvas, evoking a palpable sense of exhilaration, movement and speed.
10
Summer Skies – Six Metres Rounding the East Lepe Buoy in the Solent
Signed; inscribed verso
Oil on Canvas
28 x 42 inches – 71.1 x 106.6 cms
Provenance:
Corporate Collection, St. Paul, Minnesota;
Private Collection, Texas, USA
Racing yachts were one of Dawson’s earliest subjects, a direct influence of his principle mentor
Charles Napier Hemy (1841-1917) whose pioneering depictions of pleasure boating and domestic
fishermen were in stark contrast to the grand and formal ship portraits of the late 19th Century.
The 6-Metre Class of yacht was established under the International Rule in 1907 and were first used
in the London Olympics the following year. They grew in popularity and by the 1920s were used in
the majority of important international regattas.
In the present work, the prevailing South-Westerley wind in the Solent drives the competitors
towards and around the East Lepe Buoy. Dawson captures the ideal conditions of a stretch of water
that has provided countless days of exhilarating sailing.
11
The ‘Ann McKim’ leaving Foochow for Home
Signed
Oil on Canvas
24 x 36 inches – 61 x 91.4 cms
Provenance:
with Frost & Reed, London;
with Bendann Art Galleries, Baltimore, USA;
Private Collection, USA since c.1960
Exhibited:
Bristol and London, Frost & Reed Ltd
Literature:
L.G.G. Ramsey, Montague Dawson, RSMA, FRSA, Leigh-on-Sea, 1967, p.35, No.124
The Ann McKim was built in 1833 at the Kennard and Williamson shipyard in Baltimore. 143 feet in
length and weighing 949 tonnes, she was commissioned by local industrialist, Isaac McKim and
named after his wife. Although there were advances in design over the following decades, with her
narrow hull and square rig, she is justifiably considered to be the first of the clipper ships.
Her early voyages were generally to South America, which involved rounding Cape Horn, and in
1838 she recorded her fastest run, sailing from Coquimbo on the coast of Chile to Baltimore, in sixty
days. By the 1840s she was employed on the China run, setting for the present work, which, with
the subtle haze of dawn and glassy sea, shows Dawson’s extraordinary ability to render a variety of
nautical conditions. As faster vessels were built the Ann McKim was returned to service around South
America and even sailed under the Chilean flag for five years from 1847 to 1852, before being
dismantled.
12
Dinard Racers
Signed
Oil on Canvas
24 x 36 inches – 61 x 91.4 cms
Provenance:
with Frost & Reed, London;
Private Collection, USA
First held in 1906 and covering 175 nautical miles, this legendary regatta begins at the Royal Yacht
Squadron in Cowes, before heading West out of the Solent, past a number of dramatic but natural
race markers, including the Needles and the Channel Islands, and finally finishing at the fortress
town of St.Malo. Dinard itself lies two miles to the North and enjoys near-perfect sailing conditions.
Up to two hundred yachts can take part in this race which coincides with Bastille day on 14th July;
it also serves as a qualifier for the biennial Fastnet Challenge. In the present work, Dawson brilliantly
evokes not only the superb sailing weather but also the inclusive spirit of the event.
13
Fair Sails on a Rolling Sea – The ‘Helicon’
Signed
Oil on Canvas
28 x 42 inches – 71 x 106.8 cms
Provenance:
with Frost & Reed, Ltd., London;
with E. Stacy-Marks, Ltd., London;
Private Collection UK;
Private Collection USA
The Helicon was built in 1887 by Charles Connell in Scotstoun, Glasgow for Mr B. Wencke Söhne of
Hamburg. She was one of the new breed of merchant vessels known as windjammers – ships with
sail patterns that harnessed the wind so effectively, that it was literally ‘jammed’. Successors to the
clippers, they had iron hulls which were extremely durable and required minimal maintenance, an
easily-handled sail pattern which allowed for smaller crews and, unlike their steam-driven
counterparts, had holds that could be dedicated entirely to cargo rather than fuel, which was, of
course, completely free. As such, they were an incredibly economical form of transport and remained
popular with shipping company owners well into the 20th Century.
From Dawson’s perspective, the gleaming white hull, flecked with rust, provides a wonderful focal
point amidst a composition that conveys a powerful freshness and vitality, drawing on the elemental
beauty of the sea, the grace and elegance of the ships that sail on it, and the human drama of their
crews.
14
West Solents – Yachtsman’s Wind
Signed; inscribed verso
Oil on Canvas
24 x 36 inches – 61 x 91.4 cms
Provenance:
Private Collection, USA
West Solents or, to give them their full title, the ‘West Solent Restricted Class’, were designed and
built by H. Jacobs and H.G. May in 1924 at the Berthon Boat Company in Lymington. Although
similar to the 6-metre class, they were around a tonne heavier, which increased the sense of power
considerably. A total of thirty-two were produced for sale in the United Kingdom, while a further
five went to Argentina and one final yacht to India. They were adopted by numerous yacht clubs
along the coast near Lymington and although the depression of the 1930s caused production to cease,
they were an extremely popular class in many regattas until the 1950s.
Beautifully balanced, with the distinctive, classical lines of a thoroughbred yacht, they earned the
nickname, ‘the little J-Class’. The leading yacht in the present work, ‘W4’ is Sapphire who was
victorious in the Calshot Regatta off the Hampshire coast in July 1934.
‘My painting gives me a tremendous sense of exhilaration, almost as if I am there on
the ship itself, I’m living in a world of fantasy and the brush takes charge.’
FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS
March
The European Fine Art Fair
Maastricht
June
Masterpiece
London
October
The Harrogate Antique Fair
Harrogate
October
Fine Art Asia
Hong Kong
October
The International Fine Art and Antique Show
New York