Montague Dawson was the Official English Navel Artist of World War II and was the most gifted and well versed artist ever in depicting the sheer power of ships defending the world's oceans. His mastery of detail and great knowledge of naval vessels is superbly illustrated in this dynamic painting. This commanding work depicts the United Patrol of the Atlantic by units of the British and United States Navies during World War II. A Tribal class British destroyer passes the U.S.S. Augusta at the edge of their respective beats searching for German "U" boats.

The son of a keen yachtsman and grandson of marine painter Henry Dawson (1811-1878), the younger Dawson spent much of his childhood on Southampton Water where he was able to indulge his interest in the study of ships. Naturally adept 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. While serving in the Navy in Falmouth, he met Charles Napier Hemy (1841-1917), who had a considerable influence on his work. 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, often in full sail or on high seas. 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 artist. His patrons included two American Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as the British Royal Family. Near the end of his life, it was believed that Dawson was the highest paid painter in the world, second only to Pablo Picasso.

Artist's Museums:
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth