Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38567 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Art Book Review
A richly illustrated monograph on the much sought-after painter...of interest to anyone with a passion for maritime art...

Antique Dealer & Collectors Guide
...brings together eighty-two of Montague Dawson's greatest works in one lavish volume...

Customer Reviews

Wonderful collection of the works of a master

As it says on the back cover, "Montague Dawson is considered by many to be the supreme maritime artist of the twentieth century." Well, I'm one of those who think that and this is a truly brilliant collection of his work.

This paperback version, published in 2004, updates a hardcover edition first released in 1993. It contains an introduction which describes Dawson's life, work and painting style, and then a collection of his paintings and sketches, including 57 colour reproductions, 21 monochrone ones and photographs, and 14 sketches. Most of these have some explanatory text attached describing the ships in the pictures, the historical scenes portrayed, or how Dawson came to paint them.

Several of the photographs show the artist with some of his most famous works and with people associated with the ships in them, including Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten and Sir Francis Chichester. The book concludes with a list stating which of Dawson's paintings had been reproduced (useful but very disappointing as some of the pictures of which I would most like to buy a print do not ever appear to have been published in that form.)

Rather than concentrate on the best known of Dawson's paintings, Ranson has included many which are equally brilliant but not as famous. Many of these deserve to reach a wider audience.

I have appreciated Dawson's paintings for a long time, but I didn't know anything about the man who painted them until I read this book: I value it almost as much for what it told me about this remarkable artist as for the beautiful pictures it contains. At one time he was said to be the second best remunerated artist in the world (after Picasso) and the pictures in this book show you why.

Ron Ranson's book is an absolute must for anyone who collects or enjoys pictures of ships and the sea: it will appeal to many others who enjoy looking at beautiful things.

If you enjoy this book, another work that you might appreciate is "The Marine Paintings of Geoff Hunt" and vice versa. However, I cannot pretend that the two books are on quite the same level. Hunt is brilliant: Montague Dawson was the master.

The Maritime Paintings of Montague Dawson
Excellent reproductions of Montague Dawson,s maritime art work. His painting show clippers and wind jammers under full sail in high seas. A very comprehensive write up about the artist. Recommended for lovers of the sea.