15 Facts About Alfred Wallis

Alfred Wallis was a British artist and fisherman, known for his port landscapes and shipping scenes painted in a naive style.

Alfred Wallis achieved little commercial success, although his work was championed by progressive artists such as Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood.

Later, when Jane Wallis died, the family returned to Penzance.

Alfred Wallis sailed on schooners across the North Atlantic between Penzance and Newfoundland.

Alfred Wallis married Susan Ward in St Mary's Church, Penzance, in 1876, when he was 20 and his wife was 41.

Alfred Wallis continued as a deep-sea fisherman on the Newfoundland run in the early days of his marriage, which allowed him to earn a good wage.

In 1912, his business, "Wallis, Alfred, Marine Stores Dealer" closed and Alfred kept busy with odd jobs and worked for a local antiques dealer, Mr Armour, which provided some insight into the world of objets d'art.

Alfred Wallis was self-taught, and never had an art lesson.

Alfred Wallis's paintings are an excellent example of naive art; perspective is ignored and an object's scale is often based on its relative importance in the scene, giving many of his paintings a resemblance to early maps.

Alfred Wallis painted seascapes from memory, in large part because the world of sail he knew was being replaced by steamships.

Alfred Wallis was propelled into a circle of some of the most progressive artists working in Britain in the 1930s.

The influence was all one way; Alfred Wallis continued to paint as he always had.

Alfred Wallis is buried in Barnoon cemetery, overlooking St Ives Porthmeor beach and the Tate St Ives gallery.

Alfred Wallis thought his neighbours resented his fame, and that they believed him to be secretly rich.

In October 2020, an exhibition titled "Alfred Wallis Rediscovered" opened at Kettle's Yard.