Montague Dawson (Born 1895 - Died 1973) was a sea painter who was born in Chiswick, England. He was the son of a Thames yachtsman and inventor and was the grandson of Dawson Henry, who was a very successful landscape artist in his time. He began drawing as a child and knew he would be an artist. Dawson completed his first painting just after his fifth birthday. The painting was of watercolor sunset and it made him be known in the area where he was living. Dawson was a self-taught artist. He never attended any art school, but took every opportunity to look at paintings and absorb the methods of the masters. His family moved to Southampton Water when he was still in his early youth. Here he enjoyed sailing, fishing, and watching the magnificent ships of the world which were anchoring in the harbor.
Around 1910, the artist joined a commercial art studio and worked on posters. He managed to develop his skill of illustration. His career as an artist was greatly influenced by C. Napier Hemy RA, a prominent artist who lived at Falmouth. He used to visit C. Napier Hemy RA as a young naval officer during the Great War. Dawson's style of working was to start with a preliminary study of the subject in oil, and doing careful research before starting on the larger version. Dawson’s knowledge of ships and the sea, and his commitment to technical accuracy, came together to give him complete assurance that his artwork was as close to the actual subject as he could make it.
