The dynamism of the seas and the might of the clipper ships that brave their waters are captured with great accuracy and attention to detail in this work by Montague Dawson. Here, the artist brings vividly to life the historic British clipper ship Coonatto as it battles the waves on the open sea. Dawson, arguably the most important maritime painter of his generation, possessed an incomparable talent for rendering ships at sea with unparalleled energy and vitality. The speed and grace of these historic ships is perfectly realized in the present work, enhanced by Dawson's mastery over composition.

Launched in 1863 as part of the London “Orient Line,” Coonatto was a three-masted trading ship that traveled between London and the South Australian city of Adelaide. She got her name from the then-famed sheep trading station at Grant and Stokes of the same name, and she mainly transported wool and copper. Known for her speed, she could complete her route in as fast as 66 days, but her career was cut short when she wrecked close to home on Beachy Head, England, in 1876 and was destroyed. Dawson's powerful composition captures the ship at full sail and the height of her glory, battling the white-capped waves on a brilliant day at sea.

The son of a keen yachtsman and grandson of marine painter Henry Dawson, Montague Dawson spent much of his childhood on the Southampton Water, where he was able to indulge his interest in the study of ships. Naturally gifted at drawing and painting, the self-taught Dawson became a member of an art studio group in Bedford Row, London. By the age of 15, he was working on posters and illustrations to earn a living. For a brief period around 1910, Dawson worked for a commercial art studio in London, but with the outbreak of World War I, he joined the Royal Navy. Dawson was present at the final surrender of the German Grand Fleet, and many of his illustrations depicting the event were published in The Sphere.

After the War, Dawson established himself as a professional marine artist, concentrating on historical subjects and portraits of deep-water sailing ships. During the Second World War, he was employed as a war artist and again worked for The Sphere. Dawson exhibited regularly at the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the Royal Academy from 1917 to 1936. By the 1930s, he was considered the greatest living marine painter. His patrons included two American Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as the British Royal Family.