A highlight from our Autumn Quarterly Fine Art Sale is a spectacular work by British artist Montague Dawson. This arresting oil on canvas depicts H.M.S. Eskimo steaming through choppy waters. The painting was originally displayed at Vickers Armstrong's Head Office, as a commemoration of the building of the vessel.
In 1937, Montagu Dawson, one of the pre-eminent Marine artists of the day was commissioned by Vickers Armstrong, the leading shipbuilding company of the day, to paint a large study of their latest Naval Destroyer. H.M.S. Eskimo was one of a large batch of twenty-seven Tribal-class destroyers, named after the native peoples of the British Empire, capable of 36-knots and armed with 4 twin 4.7-in. guns. Eskimo's keel was laid down by the High Walker Yard of Vickers Armstrong at Newcastle-on-Tyne on 5th August 1936, and she was launched on 3rd September 1937, and commissioned on 30th December 1938. This picture was probably made of her while she was on sea trials.
This painting is an outstanding example of Dawson’s work, capturing both the majesty and romance of the sea with a level of technical mastery that few artists have equalled. Born in 1895, Dawson was deeply connected to the maritime world—his father was an avid yachtsman and his grandfather a marine painter—which shaped his lifelong fascination with ships and the ocean.
Notably, the silvered frame retains its ‘V A’ monogram to each corner. When Rolls-Royce subsequently purchased Vickers Marine, it was relocated to the Boardroom of the Rolls-Royce Marine Office in Bristol from where it has been consigned for sale.
The painting is being consigned by and from Rolls-Royce plc, Filton, Bristol, and sold on behalf of their two nominated charities free of charge by Clevedon Salerooms.
It is offered with a pre-sale estimate of £5,000 to £7,000 and is lot 300 in Clevedon Salerooms Autumn Fine Art sale on Thursday September 11th.