Alfred Wallis - new biography
The life and art of Alfred Wallis, iconic self-taught artist of St Ives
Alfred Wallis Child Pauper To Artistic Luminary is the new in-depth biography of Alfred Wallis (8 August 1855 - 29 August 1942).
Wallis taught himself to paint when he was 70, and his paintings greatly influenced British Modern Art. He depicted the ships he once sailed on through great storms at sea, and his other memories of a vanished past, and is now one of Britain's best-loved artists.
To truly understand Wallis's paintings it is essential to understand his life. This rigorously researched biography provides a comprehensive and engaging account of Wallis's Cornish ancestry, his impoverished childhood, his family, and his work; both at sea and on shore. His time as an artist is explored in detail, challenging the prevailing narratives surrounding his interactions with the artists, critics and collectors of the 1930s who were so inspired by his paintings.
Featuring meticulous references and high-quality colour reproductions of over a hundred of his works, this beautifully presented book aims to allow readers to appreciate Wallis’s paintings through the lens of the fascinating life he led, and the many challenges he overcame.
HARDCOVER LIMITED EDITION OF 500
Title: Alfred Wallis Child Pauper To Artistic Luminary
Author: Matilda Webb
Publisher: Seadrift Press
1st edition April 2025
ISBN:
9781838414207
Language: English
Hardcover: 550 pages, 240x170mm
Bibliography
Index
Additional lists
270 images: 10 photographs featuring Alfred Wallis and 28 of his family, many of which are previously unpublished;106 colour reproductions of Alfred Wallis's paintings; 154 images of Alfred Wallis's world.
RRP £45
Buy a signed, first edition direct from the author here
20 new facts about alfred Wallis in the book
He grew up in extreme poverty.
He had twelve brothers and sisters.
He witnessed the deaths of most of his siblings and mother before he was ten years old.
He was a cabin boy at the age of eleven.
His brother was often in trouble with the law
He was seasick on fishing boats.
He sailed as far as Labrador in 1876 and survived three great storms.
He gave up a life at sea at the age of twenty-one.
He was only at sea for a total of three or four years.
He and his wife Susan had two children but they both died in infancy.
He was a caring family man to his stepchildren and grandchildren, and to his great nephew.
He moved to St Ives in 1882 at the age of twenty-seven.
He was an astute businessman and ran his own marine stores business at St Ives from 1897 to 1911.
He was a very devout soldier of the Salvation Army.
He took up painting in 1925 just after receiving his Old Age Pension.
Ben Nicholson set a scale of prices for Wallis's paintings - 1 shilling for a small one, 2 shillings for a medium one and 3 shillings for a large one. Thereafter the prices never changed despite growing international acclaim for Wallis's paintings during his lifetime.
He was looked after by his stepchildren and grandchildren, and his nephew and great nephew right up until he went to the workhouse.
He had two funerals on his death in 1942. His first, family funeral, was interrupted by Adrian Stokes. Neither were attended by Ben Nicholson.
Dedications on his wreaths at the second funeral were not written by the artists but by Sven Berlin.
His grave was left unmarked for three years.
What art experts are saying about 'Alfred Wallis Child Pauper To Artistic Luminary'
"An utterly compelling read - the depth of research is unparalleled and changes the understanding of Alfred Wallis's painting in so many ways."
Andrew Wilson, former Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary British Art at Tate Britain
"I am in complete awe of what you have produced in your Wallis book. It is an incredible piece of scholarship. It has completely transformed my understanding and respect for Wallis’s work."
David Tovey, art historian and author
"Matilda Webb has conducted extensive research on Alfred Wallis, which will prove of great benefit to art historians and interested individuals alike. The book offers a truly exciting and in-depth insight into the work of Alfred Wallis."
Zander Collection, Germany
"The single most important work written about Alfred Wallis since Sven Berlin’s original biography in 1949."
Andrew Blair, Wallis family descendant