Montague Dawson Auction Prices and Value Guide
Montague Dawson auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 1,520 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.
Montague Dawson auction prices: quick answer
Montague Dawson auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.
- Artist
- Montague Dawson
- Source records
- 1,520
- Market update
- 2026-02-06
Artist context
About Montague Dawson
Montague Dawson (1895–1973) was a British painter celebrated as one of the twentieth century's foremost maritime artists. Born in London, he became known for meticulously detailed depictions of sailing ships — from graceful tea-clipper races to dramatic naval engagements of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Dawson held memberships in the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the Royal Society of Arts, reflecting the esteem his work commanded among his peers. His paintings combine technical accuracy in rigging and hull form with a Romantic sense of atmosphere, light, and open-ocean motion. Collectors encounter his work frequently at auction, where it has remained consistently in demand for decades. The RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History documents him as an English painter specializing in marine subjects, and his work is widely held in private and institutional maritime collections.
Marine artOil paintingSailing ships and clippersNaval warships (18th–19th centuries)Marine and seascape scenes
Common works and media
Dawson worked primarily in oil on canvas. His most commonly encountered works are mid-to-large-scale marine paintings depicting clipper ships under full sail, often racing or navigating heavy seas, as well as historical naval engagements involving British warships. Smaller coastal scenes and ship portraits also appear. Works on paper are less common but exist. Subjects range from specific documented vessels — such as the Cutty Sark and Thermopylae — to more generalized dramatic seascapes. Editioned prints of his paintings were produced and circulate widely.
Market and appraisal context
Montague Dawson's auction market is deep and well-established, with 641 total lots recorded in Appraisily data (422 with realized prices) spanning from August 2000 through April 2026. Price dispersion is wide: the recorded range runs from $10 at the low end to $180,000 at the top, with a median of $8,500 and a 75th percentile of $29,000. This spread reflects the full spectrum of Dawson's output — from editioned prints and small watercolors in the hundreds to large oils depicting clipper races and naval battles achieving tens of thousands. His work appears at top-tier houses including Christie's, Sotheby's, and Bonhams, as well as strong regional specialists such as Roseberys, Hindman, Waddington's, and New Orleans Auction Galleries. The trailing 12-month period shows 34 priced lots against 54 in the prior year — a moderate contraction in volume but not in price levels, as recent top results include 'With the Wind' at $55,000 (New Orleans Auction Galleries, April 2026), 'A Steady Course' at $48,000 (same house, March 2026), and 'The Great Republic' at £25,000 (Bonhams, April 2025). The market remains liquid and internationally distributed across GBP, USD, and CAD-denominated sales.
Auction categories and appraisal factors
Common auction categories
- Marine art
- 19th-century British painting
- Oil painting
- Works on paper
- Prints and multiples
Value drivers
- Subject matter — racing clippers and famous naval engagements tend to command stronger prices than generic seascapes
- Size and medium — larger oil-on-canvas works are more sought after than smaller formats
- Provenance and condition — documented exhibition history and undamaged canvas significantly affect value
- Attribution — works should be authenticated; Dawson's popularity has led to misattributions and copies in the market
- Subject matter — racing clippers (e.g., Cutty Sark, Thermopylae) and named naval engagements consistently command the strongest prices; generic seascapes and coastal scenes trade at lower levels
- Medium — original oil on canvas paintings dominate the upper price tier; watercolors and works on paper typically realize $1,500–$7,500; editioned prints after Dawson trade from under $100 into the low thousands
Appraisal caveats
- No catalogue raisonné was identified in available sources, making comprehensive authentication difficult.
- With over 1,500 auction records referenced in Appraisily data, the volume of works at auction is substantial; individual lot results vary widely by subject, size, and condition.
- No published catalogue raisonné exists for Montague Dawson, making definitive authentication difficult and increasing the risk of misattribution or acceptance of workshop copies.
- Lot descriptions in the auction record use conflicting birth years (1890 and 1895); this inconsistency is common in secondary-market cataloguing and does not affect authenticity but can complicate record matching.
Evidence
Sources for artist context
This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History library authority
- VIAF (OCLC) library authority
- Wikipedia wikipedia
- Wikidata library authority
- VIAF / Getty Research Institute library authority
Data basis
This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.
Artist value FAQ
How much is Montague Dawson worth?
Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.
Can Appraisily value my Montague Dawson artwork?
Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.