Friday 12th September
Every now and then, a story surfaces that reminds you just how much art history is still hiding in plain sight. This week’s gem? A previously unknown painting by Cornish Artist Alfred Wallis has turned up, and it’s heading to auction for the very first time.
It might just change the way we think about Wallis’s work as it is a view from the North - Not Cornwall?
Alfred Wallis is best known for his rugged, memory-soaked depictions of Cornwall’s coastlines: fishing boats, harbours, lighthouses—all painted in his trademark naïve style using leftover boat paint on scraps of cardboard. But this newly discovered piece takes us somewhere entirely unexpected: Scotland.
The painting, which has no title, appears to show the Forth Rail Bridge - a bold red shape nestled in the bottom corner of the scene. It's a rare northern subject in Wallis’s otherwise distinctly Cornish subjects.
According to art historian Matilda Webb, the piece suggests Wallis may have travelled further than we thought - likely during his sailing days. It’s a small but important clue that broadens the map of his creative memory.
The painting has been in the same private collection since 1936, when it was gifted by none other than Jim Ede - founder of Kettle’s Yard and an early champion of Wallis’s work. Ede gave it to his friend Muriel "Robin" Rate, and it’s been in her family ever since. A simple pencil note on the back reads: “Robin from Jim, 1936.”
That inscription alone is enough to pique any art historian’s curiosity.
Now, after almost a century out of view, the painting is set to go to auction with Roseberry’s London later this month, carrying an estimate of £20,000–£30,000
For one, it’s an authentic, untouched example of Wallis’s work that’s never been publicly exhibited. That in itself is rare but more importantly, it adds something new to the Wallis conversation. It’s not just another fishing boat. It’s a subtle hint that his imagination - so often tied to Cornwall- was shaped by a wider experience of Britain’s coasts than we’ve given him credit for. Finding a new work by Wallis in 2025 is newsworthy.
Wallis’s charm has always been rooted in how untrained and unfiltered his work feels. His paintings weren’t made for galleries or critics - they were personal recollections, offered without pretence. That authenticity continues to resonate, and this rediscovered piece only adds to the quiet strength of his legacy.
I’ll be keeping an eye on the auction - and on where this one ends up. It's a reminder that sometimes, the most interesting stories in art come from the margins not the headlines.
On the home front this week, I had to adjust the Buckinghams “woodland painting “ as the gallery who has the potential client, thought it was too different to the original. They thought the sky was too blue and the woodland hadn’t enough depth. I resisted the urge to tell them to stuff it and ,with difficulty made the requested changes. I did, however, make my feelings known.
The “Pink Barn” commission for the lady in Ireland was much more well received. It’s varnished, packed and will be on its way to County Derry shortly.
I also managed to string my 12 semi abstract seascapes and removed the tape round the edges, leaving white edges on the box canvases instead of my usual painted black edges, which saved me a big job.
I then decided to set myself a difficult task. I decided to use the 2 remaining boards and do 2 more woodland paintings and finish them, varnished, packed and ready to go...with the commission on Monday!
Luna was in Doggy Daycare on Wednesday, which gave me a whole uninterrupted day. I cracked on, painting both simultaneously. By Thursday I managed to finish both paintings. It was a tough ask and included me starting at 4.30 am on Thursday!! I’ll get them varnished on Friday and packed over the weekend.
It is probably worth getting 2 more “Autumn “ paintings to Buckinghams. They did sell 3 paintings in August and as I said previously, it’s worth keeping in with them.
I also sold work at The Jane Adams Gallery in Cornwall and OCG in Ambleside, so August proved to be a very lucrative month.