Shortening sail ahead of the gale

Clearly related to - or even painted alongside (lot 279) this view of men aloft desperately trying to take in a ship's main foresail before the rising wind rips the canvas to shreds is, if anything, more dramatic than its companion. Of all the hazards of life 'before the mast', clambering aloft to make or shorten sail in any weather, with the unprotected deck far below the crews' gaze, must have been a daunting task; to scale the rigging and cling to the yards whilst working the deadweight of wet canvas as the ship pitches on a raging sea in winter must have been terrifying, and it is no surprise that the old timers from the days of commercial sail regarded life on a steamer as unimaginable luxury.
Like all of Dawson's deck scenes, the thrills and dangers of sail's golden age are vividly brought to life in this work also, so much so that the actual identity of the vessel herself has no influence on the impact of the scene. For comparative details however, together with a possible identification of the ship involved, please refer to the notes accompanying (lot 279)