Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) began his working life as an apprentice basket-maker. He became a trans-Atlantic mariner and later a local fisherman in and around Cornwall. He only began painting at the ripe old age of 67 – ‘for company’ – after the death of his wife. He was completely self-taught and is known for his simplistic representations of boats, ships, bridges and lighthouses. Having little spare money for art supplies, he often painted on scraps of cardboard and wood using marine paint.
After five or so years, he started being championed by the artist, Ben Nicholson who, in 1928 along with Christopher Wood, happened upon Wallis on a visit to St Ives, Cornwall. Wallis’ work was soon purchased and collected by many eminent artists of the time who appreciated and emulated his naturally naive aesthetic; Nicholson, Wood, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Patrick Heron. According to Nicholson, Wallis’ work was:
something that has grown out of the Cornish seas and earth and which will endure
A large selection of his works can be found at Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge; the home of Jim Ede, one time Director of the Tate. Examples of his work are in the permanent collections of the Tate and MoMA.
There are numerous books dedicated to his life and works available from Abe Books and Amazon.
Despite finding a measure of success, and his artworks which are now selling for fortunes, Alfred Wallis died in a workhouse in poverty.
