
Penny Day
Head of UK and Ireland
Sold for £22,500 inc. premium
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Provenance
C.S. Reddihough
The Alba was a Panamanian Steamer that ran aground during a storm on Porthmeor Beach, St. Ives, 31st January 1938. The St. Ives lifeboat was launched, but tossed by a huge wave onto the island, where Wallis has depicted it (lower right). Amazingly the lifeboat crew and all but 5 of the men from the Alba were saved. Together with the Alba and Porthmeor Beach Wallis has depicted Godrevy Lighthouse and the Stones, the reef stretching out to sea which the lighthouse marks, although you cannot see Godrevy from Porthmeor Beach. This gives The Wreck of the Alba a chart like and observational quality that is characteristic of Wallis's painting. The subject was a favourite of Wallis's at the end of his life and other versions are in the Tate and Kettle's Yard, Cambridge.
We are grateful to Jovan Nicholson for compiling this catalogue entry.