St. Ives Artists: Alfred Wallis

Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) spent most of his life as a dealer in marine supplies and it was only at the age of 70 that he took up painting "for company" after the death of his wife. Wallis is now recognized as one of the most original British artists of the 20th century. His pictures of boats and harbors, produced on odd-shaped boards using ship's paint, became an inspiration to St. Ives artists seeking a new approach and were highly influential in the development of British Modernism. This book looks at the mythology that grew up around Wallis and at the sustained interest in the irascible eccentric whose work affected a generation of British artists.