Alfred Wallis's favourite paint

I've posted many images of paintings by Alfred Wallis, so I thought I'd show the brand of paint he used throughout his artist years.

It is thought that Wallis painted with any old half-empty pot of paint he came across, but he was actually very particular. When asked by a friend what type of paint he used, “'Peacocks', he replied, as though you couldn’t expect an artist to use any other”.

'Peacock's' referred to Ready-Mixed Composition Paints manufactured by Peacock & Buchan of Southampton, ‘Proved For Over 80 Years The Best For Painting The Outside & Inside of Ships & Houses.'

Wallis bought the paint at ten pence per pound (half a litre) from Burrell’s hardware shop, which was at the bottom of the Digey (photo).

He used this paint consistently, but found it hard to afford sometimes, writing once to Ben Nicholson: "i have used many pounds of pant…i do not git my living at it…i Do not Think i shall TrouBle aBout Buying much more paint i am not paid for thin i Do put aBout."