This is a head and shoulder length portrait of Commander Dallison in three-quarter profile, facing away from the viewer towards the left hand side of the picture plane. His eyes are cast down as though deep in thought, his features are rounded and his hair is short and greying at the temples. He is wearing a Navy uniform, various awards visible on his left lapel, and he has a handkerchief in his pocket. Portholes are visible behind him, suggesting he has been depicted on board his ship. During the war Dallison was in command of two sloop ships, HMS ‘Londonderry’ and HMS ‘Pelican’, but as this portrait is undated it is difficult to know which ship is represented here. This portrait is signed by the artist just above Dallison’s left shoulder, and is still in the original mount and frame from the War Artists Advisory Committee. [The original WAAC number is LD. 3537].

William Dring (1904-90) earned his reputation as a fine draughtsman and portrait painter whilst studying under Henry Tonks at the Slade School of Art between 1922 and 1925. He worked as a teacher of drawing and painting at the Southampton School of Art until 1940 when he was employed by the War Artist Advisory Committee, first as official war artist to the Admiralty and later to the Air Ministry. He made a large number of portrait drawings of individuals and groups, all remarkable for their informality. Dring travelled extensively to complete his commissions. The drawing is always precise and carefully modelled using pastel, a medium in which he specialised, and which allowed him to capture the likeness and spirit of his subjects quickly and under a variety of circumstances.