‘A Galleon in Distress’ by Montague Dawson

‘A Galleon in Distress’ by Montague Dawson, a grisaille oil on board showing a galleon on port tack in grave danger of being wrecked on a rocky lee shore, with shredded sails and waves threatening to scupper her through her open gun ports.

In the far distance another galleon is facing the same fate, close up details show figures clinging to in the rigging and floundering in the water, the reverse with a paper I.D. label.

Signed ‘Montague Dawson’, in an ornate gilt frame.

English, circa 1950.

Footnote: 

Alan Russett, author and naval historian writes ‘Being Montague Dawson, the drawing is very likely to be a totally accurate representation of a vessel either from an earlier model or based on a known design and therefore authentic. 

Considering the principal features, I am prepared to hazard the view that the vessel is Spanish from the end of the 16th. century or the first half of the 17th, which leads of course to the Armada of 1588. 

The scene is of a storm, a shipwreck on a high rocky shore and another vessel in similar state in the distance. After its defeat in the Channel and failure to land, the Armada sailed around the British Isles endeavouring to return to Spain.

Many ships were wrecked in storms on the west coast of Ireland and it might not, therefore, be too fanciful to see this work as a representation of such a disaster. I emphasise that this is entirely hypothetical in the absence of hard evidence.

Dimensions

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance