Boat with Fishermen Letting Out Nets - Alfred Wallis

A raw, expressive maritime scene by Cornish artist Alfred Wallis, capturing the labour of fishermen on a traditional boat.

Alfred Wallis, a retired Cornish fisherman and scrap merchant, began painting in his late sixties. He lacked formal training, yet his work captures the essence of maritime life with directness and clarity. This piece, executed on salvaged cardboard, demonstrates his characteristic approach to perspective and form. Wallis often ignored traditional rules of scale, choosing instead to prioritise the relative importance of the elements within the scene. The boat occupies the primary space, rendered with bold, dark strokes that contrast against the lighter, textured surface of the support.

The composition is flattened, a common trait in his work, which allows the viewer to focus on the activity of the fishermen. The figures are simplified, yet their actions are clear as they manage the nets. Wallis used a limited palette, relying on muted tones that reflect the grey, overcast conditions of the Cornish coast. The inclusion of his signature, 'A WALLIS', in the upper corner is typical of his practice, as he often signed his works directly onto the surface.

Wallis painted from memory, drawing upon decades of experience at sea. His work was discovered by Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood in 1928, who admired the raw honesty of his output. Unlike professional artists of his time, Wallis did not seek to replicate reality with precision. He sought to convey the feeling of the sea and the labour involved in fishing. This print preserves the texture of the original cardboard, allowing the viewer to appreciate the material quality of his work. It provides a glimpse into the life of a man who spent his final years documenting the vanishing world of traditional sail-powered fishing vessels.