Montague Dawson (British, 1890-1973) 'A Rift in the Clouds' - The Joshua Bates

Montague Dawson (British, 1890-1973) 'A Rift in the Clouds' - The Joshua Bates signed 'MONTAGUE. DAWSON.' (lower left) oil on canvas 72.1 x 107.9cm (28 3/8 x 42 1/2in). Footnotes: Provenance With Frost & Reed, London, stock no. 3530. With Schwartz Galleries, New York. Anon. sale, Sotheby's, New York, 22 October 2009, lot 124. The Joshua Bates occupies a distinguished place in the history of American sail. Built at Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1844 by Donald McKay in partnership with William Pickett, the 620-ton wooden packet ship was commissioned for Enoch Train's influential White Diamond Line and named after the noted Anglo-American financier Joshua Bates (1788-1864). Employed on the Boston-Liverpool route, she formed part of one of the most important transatlantic packet services of the period, carrying cargo eastbound and passengers on the return journey. She quickly established a reputation for speed, reliability and exceptional seakeeping qualities, qualities that heralded the revolutionary clipper designs for which McKay would later become renowned. The vessel's success was instrumental in launching the career of a shipbuilder whose later creations, including the Flying Cloud and Sovereign of the Seas, came to define the golden age of American sail. By the time Montague Dawson came to paint her, the Joshua Bates had long since entered maritime legend. Her elegant proportions and important association with McKay made her a natural subject for an artist who repeatedly sought out the most celebrated vessels of the Age of Sail. Depictions of the ship can be found in major maritime collections, including that of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, attesting to her enduring significance within nineteenth-century naval and mercantile history. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * AR * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing