Alfred Wallis (British, 1855-1942) Trawler Passing a Lighthouse 36.5 x 52.4 cm. (14 3/8 x 20 5/8...

Alfred Wallis (British, 1855-1942) Trawler Passing a Lighthouse oil on board 36.5 x 52.4 cm. (14 3/8 x 20 5/8 in.) (irregular) Painted circa 1935 Footnotes: Provenance The Artist, from whom acquired by Dorothy Elmhirst (via Jim Ede), 1935 Dartington Hall Trust Sale; Lay's, Penzance, 26 October 2023, lot 32, where acquired by the present owners Exhibited Brittany, Musee des Beaux-Arts de Quimper, Christopher Wood: A Painter between two Cornwalls, 16 May-1 September 1997; this exhibition travelled to St Ives, The Tate Gallery Literature: Sven Berlin, Alfred Wallis: Primitive, Redcliffe Press, Bristol, 1992, pl.VIII (col.ill.) Matthew Gale, Alfred Wallis: St Ives Artists, Tate Publishing, London, 2001, p.54, cat.no.35 (col.ill.) Matthew Gale, British Artists: Alfred Wallis, Tate Publishing, London, 2014, p.68 (ill.) 'I paint things what used to be and there is only one or two what has them and I does no harm to anyone' (Alfred Wallis) The above quote taken from the artist reflects on the importance of the past to Wallis and his belief in leading a simple life, both of which are consistently reflected in his work. It was this inherent truth and honesty that appealed so greatly to Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood when they 'discovered' Wallis together on a day trip to St Ives in 1928. Passing his small cottage and seeing numerous pictures through the window they knocked on his door and offered to buy a number of works, thus resulting in Wallis' first sales. To these two avant-garde artists, Wallis worked with a raw directness that was a result of his lack of formal training, a quality they wished to replicate in their own work. In the introduction to Alfred Wallis' 1968 exhibition Alan Bowness eloquently explained the artist's appeal when stating, 'When art reaches an over-sophisticated stage, someone who can paint out of his experience with an unsullied and intense personal vision becomes of inestimable value. The way in which he used the very simple means at his disposal – yacht paint and odd, irregular scraps of cardboard and wood – is an object lesson to any painter. Wallis shows such easy natural mastery of colour and forms that one can only look with delight and astonishment.' It was not long before the distinguished curator and collector Harold Stanley Ede, known as 'Jim' was made aware of Wallis' work and a long relationship between the two would follow. The artist would send Jim Ede batches of pictures in the post, which would ordinarily be priced from just 1 shilling and based on size. Trawler Passing a Lighthouse, along with a number of other works by Wallis, was acquired by Dorothy Elmhirst via Jim Ede in the mid-1930s after he himself had sent her a group to choose from, this being considered a particular favourite. Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst had acquired Dartington Hall in 1925, and this historic Devonian house became a mecca for creatives and free thinkers under their tenure with the Dartington School eventually formed. This pioneering centre in alternative education welcomed notable students including Lucian and Clement Freud, Kirsty Lang and Jasia Reichardt. Trawler Passing a Lighthouse is impressive in its large scale and demonstrates how proportion is integral to the artists work and understanding the value he placed on each element within his work. Ships, houses, trees, people and fish are not represented with realistic scale. Rather the 'ancient mariner' would allow whichever aspect of the composition was most important to him to also become the largest. In the present work, which is actually likely to be a cargo boat turning into port, the large-scale vessel is placed centrally and at a diagonal, dividing the typically blue/green coloured sea and the sandy land above. As Matthew Gale has commented on this work, 'the port was drawn in the same style as the contemporary paintings of St Ives, and the rough texture underlies the shore which has been indented around the steamer. This vision of the land – with what appears to be a great domed building (but may be rows of tiny houses in a courtyard) and the triangular black trees - is rather exotic. It may be appropriate, as the white 'H' on the funnel is the insignia of the local Hain Steamship Company, which traded around the world and the progress of whose ships was listed in the local paper' (Matthew Gale, Alfred Wallis: St Ives Artists, Tate Publishing, London, 2001, p.54). Trawler Passing a Lighthouse is accompanied by exceptional provenance and presents a rare opportunity to acquire a significant work by Wallis. It is fitting that the history of the picture relates back to Jim Ede whose fabled collection at Kettle's Yard, itself including outstanding examples by Alfred Wallis, was such a source of inspiration for Stuart and Claire Henderson. We are grateful to Robert Jones for his assistance in cataloguing this lot. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing