Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 159 works by Alfred Wallis in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Alfred Wallis's most famous painting is Sailing Ship and Orchard (1937), whose original hangs in the Kettle's Yard, Cambridge. Fishing Boat with Two Masts and Yellow Sails (1920) and String of Boats (1928) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 159 works by Alfred Wallis in our catalog, the gallery presents the 100 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
The artwork is a watercolor painting that presents a serene depiction of a sailing ship gliding across calm waters alongside an orchard laden with blossoms. The composition is dominated by a large, triangular sail that serves as the central anchor, directing the viewer’s gaze toward the expansive horizon. A hillside or cliff face in the background provides a diagonal line, while the waterline creates a horizontal base. The scene includes…
Fishing Boat with Two Masts and Yellow Sails is a work by Alfred Wallis, dating from 1920. The artist, who was born in Devonport, United Kingdom, in 1855, brought a unique perspective to his canvases, shaped by a life lived in close proximity to the sea. Before he turned to painting, Wallis was a self-taught craftsman who spent much of his life working as a shipbuilder.
A collection of sailboats drifts across a quiet expanse of water, their varying scales suggesting a sense of depth and distance. In the background, a lighthouse provides a fixed point of reference against the horizon, anchoring the nautical scene. The composition is defined by a muted, earthy palette, where shades of brown dominate the visual field, lending the work a grounded, somber quality. The arrangement of the vessels creates a…
The painting titled White House and Cottages, the Old House, Porthmeor Square, St Ives was created by the artist Alfred Wallis. This work dates to about 1932. The artist, a self-taught painter from the United Kingdom, produced this piece during a period of prolific activity in St Ives, Cornwall.
There is a certain gravity in how this small-scale work captures the struggle of a single vessel against the immense, churning power of the ocean. The barque, positioned slightly off-center, seems to fight for its place within a vast, horizontal expanse of gray and muted blue. You can feel the tension in the diagonal lines of the sails, which pull against the force of the wind, creating a sense of…
A small boat floats upon a calm expanse of water, positioned near the center of the composition. In the background, mountains rise against the horizon, their forms simplified and heavy. Two figures are visible within the scene, one situated toward the left and another toward the right, grounding the vessel in a sense of human presence. The composition is framed by scattered rocks that break the surface of the sea,…
In this work, titled Brigantine Sailing Past Green Fields, we encounter a piece by Alfred Wallis. The artist, who was born in 1855, spent much of his life as a shipbuilder and mariner before turning to the canvas. This practical connection to the sea informs the very essence of his visual language. The painting remains undated, leaving its exact moment of creation a quiet mystery.
Landscape with Two Large Trees and Houses is a work by Alfred Wallis. The artist, born in 1855, lived through a changing era of maritime life before his death in 1942. He was a self-taught craftsman who spent much of his life as a shipbuilder, shaping timbers for the Atlantic waters. This practical history shaped the way he approached the canvas.
To gaze upon Alfred Wallis's "A Brig, Close to Shore" is not merely to observe a painting; it is to feel the bracing salt spray on your face and hear the rhythmic creak of timbers against the tide. This work transports us directly into the vibrant, untamed heart of the Cornish coast. The scene is dominated by the powerful grace of a sailboat, its canvas sails catching an unseen wind,…
In the evocative masterpiece St Ives, we are invited into a world where the boundaries between memory and reality dissolve into a charming, stylized landscape. Created around 1928, this work offers an aerial perspective that looks down upon a cluster of coastal dwellings and maritime vessels nestled along a serene blue expanse. The composition is dominated by a central grouping of buildings and boats, arranged with a density that suggests…
Headland with two three masters (verso)1938 · The Pier Arts Centre
12
Green Sails1939
13
The Blue Ship1934
14
Boats before a Great Bridge (Royal Albert Bridge )1937 · Kettle's Yard
15
Rough Sea
16
Ship, People and AnimalsKettle's Yard
17
Schooner in Full Sail near a Lighthouse1928 · Kettle's Yard
18
P. Z. 111928
19
Seven Boats Entering Harbour1928 · Kettle's Yard
20
Houses at St Ives, Cornwall1928
21
Houses at the Water's Edge (Porthleven )1928 · Kettle's Yard
22
Seascape, Ships Sailing Past the Long Ships1928 · Kettle's Yard
23
Five Ships, Mount's Bay1928 · Kettle's Yard
24
St Ives1928
25
Two Ships and Steamer Sailing Past a Port, Falmouth and St Anthony Lighthouse1931 · Kettle's Yard
26
St. Ives Harbor1932
27
Schooner Approaching a Harbour1930
28
White Houses, Hales Down, near St Ives1932 · Kettle's Yard
29
Two Boats1930 · Jerwood Gallery
30
House1935
31
Fishes and Lobster Pots1936 · Kettle's Yard
32
Boats under Saltash Bridge (Royal Albert Bridge) (recto)1937 · Kettle's Yard
33
Harbour Scene (verso)1937 · Kettle's Yard
34
Grey Sailing Ship and Small Boat (verso)1938 · Kettle's Yard
35
Harbour with Two Lighthouses and Motor Vessel, St Ives Bay1934 · Kettle's Yard
36
House1936
37
Harbour, St Ives, Cornwall1936
38
House with Trees1937 · Kettle's Yard
39
Cottages in a Wood, St Ives1937 · Kettle's Yard
40
Crucifixion or Allegory with Three Figures and Two Dogs1934 · Kettle's Yard
41
St Ives harbour White sailing ship (recto)1938 · The Pier Arts Centre
42
Trees and Cottages1937 · Kettle's Yard
43
Three Master and Steamer in Port (verso)1937 · Kettle's Yard
44
White sailing ship – three masts1938 · The Pier Arts Centre
45
Three ships and lighthouse (verso)1938 · The Pier Arts Centre
46
Against Longships fog (recto)1938 · The Pier Arts Centre
47
Ravine with Estuary (Bristol Channel and Suspension Bridge )1938 · Kettle's Yard
48
Landscape with Field, Chimneys and Road between Blue and Dark Green Cottages (Consols Mine)1936 · Kettle's Yard
49
St Ives harbour and Godrevy (recto)1938 · The Pier Arts Centre
50
Boat on the Sea1937
51
Yacht, pink and green (verso)1938 · The Pier Arts Centre
52
'Consols Mine Raswall Hill and the Road Zennor to Farms. The White You See Is Granite'1936
53
Black Steamship1938 · The Pier Arts Centre
54
Shipwreck 2, the Wreck of the 'Alba'1941 · Kettle's Yard
55
Death Ship1942 · Kettle's Yard
56
Boat with Figures1940
57
Shipwreck 1, the Wreck of the 'Alba'1940 · Kettle's Yard
58
Small Boat in a Rough Sea1936 · Kettle's Yard
59
Land, Fish and Motor Vessel1937 · Kettle's Yard
60
Two Ships with Brown Green Sails in Rising SeaKettle's Yard
61
Motor Vessel Mounting a WaveKettle's Yard
62
Trawler1925 · Arts Council Collection
63
Three Masted Ship near Lighthouse1930 · Kettle's Yard
64
Steam Boat
65
Three Master in Full Sail near a LighthouseKettle's Yard
66
Four Steam Ships and Three Jetties (verso)Kettle's Yard
67
Three Sailing Boats in a Line (recto)Kettle's Yard
68
Mount's Bay
69
Two BoatsKettle's Yard
70
Three Grey Sailed ShipsKettle's Yard
71
Large and Small SteamboatsKettle's Yard
72
Ships in HarbourUniversity of Essex
73
Nine Ships in HarbourKettle's Yard
74
Fishing Boat in Harbour, with Red Sail Mast SteepedKettle's Yard
75
Grey Three MasterKettle's Yard
76
Harbour and Sailing ShipUniversity of Essex
77
Mount's Bay with Four LighthousesKettle's Yard
78
Sailing Ships and Two Steamers, Newlyn HarbourKettle's Yard
79
Penzance HarbourKettle's Yard
80
A Fishing Boat off the Coast
81
BoatsWolfson College
82
Two Sailing Ships with a LighthouseKettle's Yard
83
Knill's MonumentKettle's Yard
84
Schooner
85
Wreck of the Alba
86
Fishing Boat Between Two Lighthouses
87
Three Boats off the Shore
88
Passin Ice Burgs
89
Fishing Boat
90
Two Masted Schooner, Ketch
91
Four Masted Sailing Ship and LighthouseKettle's Yard
92
Four Sailing Boats Leaving Pier with LighthouseKettle's Yard
93
Grey Steam BoatKettle's Yard
94
Two Funnel Steamboat amongst Three Sailing BoatsKettle's Yard
95
Motor Vessel with Four MenKettle's Yard
96
Three Master with Four Sailors and Four Dolphins in Green SeaKettle's Yard
97
Two Masted YawlFitzwilliam College
98
GatewayKettle's Yard
99
Motor Vessel near LandKettle's Yard
100
Wreck of the Alba
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Alfred Wallis | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kettle's Yard |
Cambridge | 96 | Sailing Ship and Orchard, White House and Cottages, the Old House, Porthmeor Square, St Ives, Barque with a Man at the Wheel on a Stormy Sea |
 The Pier Arts Centre |
Stromness | 9 | Headland with two three masters (verso), St Ives harbour White sailing ship (recto), White sailing ship – three masts |
 University of Essex |
Colchester | 5 | Ships in Harbour, Harbour and Sailing Ship |
 Arts Council Collection |
London | 2 | Trawler |
 Wolverhampton Art Gallery |
Wolverhampton | 1 | A Brig, Close to Shore |
 Tate Britain |
London | 1 | St Ives |
 Jerwood Gallery |
Hastings | 1 | Two Boats |
 Wolfson College |
Oxford | 1 | Boats |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
Fishing Boat with Two Masts and Yellow Sails is a work by Alfred Wallis, dating from 1920. The artist, who was born in Devonport, United Kingdom, in 1855, brought a unique perspective to his canvases, shaped by a life lived in close proximity to the sea. Before he turned to painting, Wallis was a self-taught craftsman who spent much of his life working as a shipbuilder.
The artwork is a watercolor painting that presents a serene depiction of a sailing ship gliding across calm waters alongside an orchard laden with blossoms. The composition is dominated by a large, triangular sail that serves as the central anchor, directing the viewer’s gaze toward the expansive horizon. A hillside or cliff face in the background provides a diagonal line, while the waterline creates a horizontal base. The scene includes…
To gaze upon Alfred Wallis's "A Brig, Close to Shore" is not merely to observe a painting; it is to feel the bracing salt spray on your face and hear the rhythmic creak of timbers against the tide. This work transports us directly into the vibrant, untamed heart of the Cornish coast. The scene is dominated by the powerful grace of a sailboat, its canvas sails catching an unseen wind,…
Sailing Ship and Orchard (1937), Kettle's Yard, Cambridge. Fishing Boat with Two Masts and Yellow Sails (1920) and String of Boats (1928) come next.
82 years old: Sailing Ship and Orchard dates from 1937, and Alfred Wallis was born in 1855.
Sailing Ship and Orchard, Fishing Boat with Two Masts and Yellow Sails, String of Boats, White House and Cottages, the Old House, Porthmeor Square, St Ives, Barque with a Man at the Wheel on a Stormy Sea, Voyage to Labrador, Brigantine Sailing Past Green Fields, Landscape with Two Large Trees and Houses, A Brig, Close to Shore and St Ives. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 159 works by Alfred Wallis, dated from 1920 to 1942.
Mostly in Kettle's Yard (Cambridge), The Pier Arts Centre (Stromness) and University of Essex (Colchester). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1930s: 39 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Sailing Ship and Orchard among them.
On this page, the earliest is Fishing Boat with Two Masts and Yellow Sails (1920) and the latest A Brig, Close to Shore (1942).
Sea (10), Coastal landscape (9) and Boats (8), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil, for 7 of the 100 works on this page.
Naive art, judging by the originals on this page.
Sailing Ship and Orchard, White House and Cottages, the Old House, Porthmeor Square, St Ives and Barque with a Man at the Wheel on a Stormy Sea: the Kettle's Yard, Cambridge holds 56 of the works on this page.
Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) stands apart from the traditional artistic landscape of his era—a figure whose quiet simplicity belies a profound engagement with observation and an unwavering dedication to capturing the essence of coastal Cornwall. Born in Devonport, England, Wallis possessed no formal art training; he was a self-taught craftsman who worked as a shipbuilder for much of his life, shaping timbers into vessels that sailed the Atlantic waters. This practical, hands-on mastery instilled in him a meticulous attention to detail and an intimate understanding of materials that would later translate into his evocative paintings. His formative years were spent honing skills in shipbuilding, a trade passed down through generations of Cornish families, which provided him with a unique, visceral connection to the maritime world he would eventually immortalize on canvas.
It was not until the 1920s that Wallis’s artistic career truly blossomed, following his relocation to the vibrant artistic enclave of St Ives, Cornwall. Drawn by the creative energy of this community—which included notable figures such as Ben Burrell and George Nash—he began producing a prolific series of works depicting boats, harbors, and landscapes bathed in the distinctive Cornish light. His aesthetic is undeniably unique, characterized by flattened perspectives, bold outlines, and a muted color palette dominated by deep blues and sea-greens. Wallis’s work embodies the principles of naive art, a style rooted in direct sensory experience rather than intellectualized academic theory. He eschewed complex compositions and elaborate brushstrokes, prioritizing clarity and an immediate, emotional impact.
The significance of Wallis's contribution to art lies in his ability to transform the mundane elements of seafaring life into something deeply spiritual and atmospheric. His paintings are not merely representations of places; they are imbued with a palpable sense of movement and memory. Through works such as Trawler and Boat, one can sense the weight of the Atlantic and the rhythmic pulse of the tides. Even in more turbulent compositions like Rough Sea, his expressive style and evocative brushwork capture the raw power of the ocean through a lens of folk art tradition. By rejecting the rigid academic conventions of his time, Wallis achieved a level of honesty that resonates with viewers seeking a connection to the elemental forces of nature.
His historical importance is cemented by his role as a bridge between the rugged reality of maritime labor and the modern art movements of the 20th century. While he lacked formal instruction, his "primitive" approach offered a refreshing alternative to the sophisticated techniques of the era, influencing how we perceive the relationship between subject and medium. His life's work remains a testament to the power of the untrained eye, proving that true artistic vision often emerges from a deep, lifelong intimacy with one's surroundings. Today, his legacy continues to inspire those drawn to the charm of Cornish life and the timeless beauty of the sea.
