Compositions featuring a shipboard perspective are rare within Montague Dawson's prolific body of work, and A Night at Sea offers dynamic insight into this distinctive yet fascinating genre of his career. In the present work, an iridescent night sky illuminates the deck of a ship as it navigates through swelling and crashing waves. A single golden light swaying with the wavering vessel faintly highlights two men who emerge from the doorway to tend to their decks, now covered with water. Through this captivating choice of perspective, Dawson (1895 - 1973) draws attention not only to the harsh realities of life on the water, but also to the power and often dangerous beauty of the wide-open ocean.
[Sotheby’s, New York - Oil on canvas, 71 x 106.9 cm]