An armored battle cruiser of the British Royal Navy is hailed by the crew of a sailing merchant ship enjoying the spectacular view of the fierce "guardian" of our scene, H.M.S. HOOD. The artist Montague Dawson had previously captured earlier naval scenes in WWI as a officer in the Royal Navy and had gone on to paint as his full-time profession to great acclaim, allied with the Frost & Reed gallery of London. Here he has revisited his early passion, warships of the Empire, with the hostilities of WWII laying in wait around the corner.
With her stark profile and specific 4 15-inch gun pairs amongst her armaments, this can only be H.M.S. HOOD, an epic member of the British Admiralty. Launched in 1918, she was the first and only battle cruiser of her class completed. HOOD blended the armaments of a full battleship, following the lead of such famous warships as IRON DUKE and QUEEN ELIZABETH, with speeds previous unmatched and a lighter array of armor. When launched out of the John Brown Yard at Clydebank on August 22, 1918 she was the largest and most powerful member of the British Navy.
Dawson illustrates both ships beautifully, in a contrast of the ages with the traditional deck scene in deep tones and the superior speed of the battle cruiser throwing spray in her wake through the Atlantic Ocean. HOOD would sail into infamy in her confrontation with the German Battleship BISMARK, when a long range shot would ignite munitions on deck and destroy the British warship in 1941. This is a beautiful narrative tribute to her legacy.
