Montague Dawson (British, 1890-1973)
The Bristol Privateer Hornet engaging the rich Spanish ship Purissima Conception outward bound from Cadiz, March 1782
signed 'MONTAGUE.DAWSON.' (lower left)
watercolour
52.4 x 74.6cm (20 5/8 x 29 3/8in).
Footnotes:
Provenance
With Daniel Rees, Fine Art Dealer, Michigan, USA.
Anon. Sale, Bonhams, London, 24 March 2010, lot 145.
Lady Virginia Williams, UK, thence by descent to the current owners.

The Hornet was built at Bordeaux in about 1777. Designed as a Guineaman [to trade to Guinea, on the coast of West Africa], she was measured at 350 tons and carried a main armament of 22-24pdr. carronades on her main deck with a further 10-12pdr. cannon on her quarter deck. By 1780 – having probably been captured once France had entered the American War of Independence on the side of the rebel colonists – Hornet was operating out of Bristol as a privateer. Commanded initially by Captain Bernard McDavitt, he was soon succeeded by Captain Kimber who enjoyed a number of successes with Hornet, including assisting at the capture of the Dutch colonies in Surinam in February 1781 and later sharing in the capture of the Dutch brig Three Friends with a cargo valued at £16-20,000 in April. Returning to Bristol that July when she was put up for sale, Hornet's new owners reappointed Captain Kimber who returned to sea in January 1782. After first capturing a sloop, in March he sighted, chased, engaged and captured an extremely valuable Spanish merchantman, the Purissima Conception, just out of Cadiz and on passage to Buenos Aires. Although she too was measured at 350 tons, the Spaniard only mounted 12-6pdrs. and proved no match for Hornet after a short but spirited engagement. After escorting his prize back into port at King Road, at the mouth of the Bristol Avon, Kimber took Hornet back to sea and had taken two enemy brigantines by the end of the year.

Hornet's career once peace came in 1783 is unknown but she was subsequently wrecked on the Owers [an area of treacherous sands in the English Channel, lying between Portsmouth and Selsey Bill] on 17th October 1794 when on passage from Jamaica to London.

Montague Dawson painted another version of this action, seen from a different perspective (28 x 42ins; 71 x 107cms.) and also a portrait of Hornet sailing alone (24 x 36ins; 60 x 90 cms.), the latter being illustrated in Ron Ransom's The Maritime Paintings of Montague Dawson,(Newton Abbot, Devon, 1993) p.81.

A contemporary portrait of 'The Hornet Tacking' by Nicholas Pocock, which was later engraved, is recorded amongst the artist's 'Views of Privateers Sailing out of Bristol [during the] Last War, 1778-81'.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: AR
AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.

Please note, the work has not been examined out of the frame.

Overall the work appears in good colour.

There are a couple of small scratches in the lower centre of the sea and one in the lower right framing edge.

There are a few very faint spots of foxing visible in the sky and one small brown spot in the upper centre of the sky which could be surface dirt or a stain, but it is difficult to say. There is possibly some light acidification through the sea.

Overall, the work appears to be in nice presentable order and ready to hang.