Large and Small Steamboats - Alfred Wallis

A characteristic maritime scene by Cornish artist Alfred Wallis, featuring steamships rendered in his signature naïve style on a cardboard support.

Alfred Wallis, a retired Cornish fisherman and scrap merchant, began painting in his late sixties following the death of his wife. Working primarily on discarded cardboard packaging, he utilised the materials at hand, often cutting the supports into irregular shapes to accommodate his compositions. This work, Large and Small Steamboats, demonstrates his characteristic approach to maritime subjects. Wallis did not employ traditional perspective, preferring instead to arrange elements based on their relative importance to his memory of the sea.

The composition features a small steamship navigating choppy waters, positioned alongside the looming, partial form of a larger vessel. His palette is restricted, relying on the natural tone of the cardboard for the sky, while applying oil paint to define the sea and the ships. The brushwork is direct and unrefined, reflecting his lack of formal training. Wallis often painted from memory, focusing on the essential features of the vessels, such as the masts, funnels, and hulls, rather than attempting a realistic depiction of the scene. His signature, A WALLIS, is placed prominently in the upper section of the work.

Wallis was discovered by Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood in 1928, who were drawn to the authenticity and directness of his work. His output was prolific during his final years in St Ives. By painting on irregular scraps of cardboard, he created objects that exist between painting and sculpture. His work remains a significant example of British folk art, capturing the essence of the Cornish fishing industry through a personal, non-academic lens. This print reproduces the textures of the original cardboard support, maintaining the raw quality of his application.