Montague Dawson (British, 1895-1973) Night suspect, 1958 Oil on canvas 40 x 50 inches (101.6 x 127 cm) Signed lower left: Montague Dawson Property from the Estate of Kenneth Alan Hill, Sr., Fort Worth, Texas PROVENANCE: Frost & Reed, Ltd. London, 1958 (stock no. 24760); W. Russell Button Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, 1959; Private American collection; Christie's, New York, January 29, 2008, lot 358 (as Night Surprise); Vallejo Gallery, Newport Beach, California (as Night Suspect); Acquired by the present owner from the above, 2009. EXHIBITED: Royal Society of Marine Painters, Guildhall Art Gallery, London, 1958, no. 67. Montague Dawson was born into a life on the ocean. The son of a sea captain, Dawson served in the Royal Navy in World War I, and was an official war artist for a British newspaper during World War II. The present work depicts a dramatic chase by the British Coast Guard, firing a canon at suspected smugglers in the English Channel. Moonbeams peek through a cloudy night sky, illuminating the deck as the crew feverishly readies the ship for attack. Through this captivating choice of perspective, Dawson draws attention not only to the harsh realities of life on the water, but also to the power and often dangerous beauty of the open ocean. Compositions featuring a shipboard perspective are rare and there are less than six known Dawson works that display such a precise view of action on deck. Additionally, none of these other deck scenes are of a ship engaged in such a pursuit, cannons firing. This seminal work by Dawson was an obvious choice by the artist for display at the 1958 Royal Society of Marine Painters' London Guildhall. A precisionist in every way, Dawson would interview officers and crew, some of whom provided their own sketches and notes from which he would recreate an accurate visual account. The artist would pore over a work, from sketches, models and preliminary paintings to finally achieve his masterpiece. HID03101062020 © 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved