Montague Dawson

While the majority of Montague Dawson’s works take place on the high seas, Eight Bells is a rare composition with a shipboard perspective, capturing the drama and danger for clipper crews sailing in difficult weather. The thrashing weight and surging might of the waves is tangible. Dawson's rigorous attention to nautical detail is on full display, from the visible seams in the full sails to the complex rigging, emphasizing the ship's massive deck. Dawson draws attention not only to the harsh realities of life on the water, but also to the power and often perilous beauty of the wide-open ocean.