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Lot Essay
The present work originally belonged to Ben Nicholson whose fondness for Wallis led him to write an article about the artist in Horizon shortly after he died, and to discuss this painting:
'(Wallis) enjoyed talking about his paintings, speaking of them not as paintings but as events or experiences ... Another day, after talking about the war, he said: 'To think that man has come to this', and, looking at a painting he had made of the Ark on Mount Ararat, he said: 'What man requires is more worship in the valleys and on the mountain tops too'' (B. Nicholson quoted in 'Alfred Wallis', Horizon: Vol. VII, January 1943, p. 52, no. 37).
We are very grateful to Robert Jones, author of Alfred Wallis Artist and Mariner, 2018 (Third Edition), for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
https://alfredwallis.robertjonesartist.com/
In 1950, Ben Nicholson gifted this painting to Lilian Somerville, Director of the British Council’s Fine Arts Department from 1948 to 1970. Notably the British Council awarded Nicholson a painting work allowance which enabled him to purchase a car with which he toured France and Italy with his friend Cyril Reddihough in the summer of 1950. Nicholson was generous in gifting his Wallis paintings to his friends and it is tempting to think the present depiction of Mount Ararat was a thank you to Lilian Somerville. For another painting of Noah’s Ark see Edwin Mullins, Alfred Wallis, London, 1967, p. 89.
We are very grateful to Jovan Nicholson for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
'(Wallis) enjoyed talking about his paintings, speaking of them not as paintings but as events or experiences ... Another day, after talking about the war, he said: 'To think that man has come to this', and, looking at a painting he had made of the Ark on Mount Ararat, he said: 'What man requires is more worship in the valleys and on the mountain tops too'' (B. Nicholson quoted in 'Alfred Wallis', Horizon: Vol. VII, January 1943, p. 52, no. 37).
We are very grateful to Robert Jones, author of Alfred Wallis Artist and Mariner, 2018 (Third Edition), for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
https://alfredwallis.robertjonesartist.com/
In 1950, Ben Nicholson gifted this painting to Lilian Somerville, Director of the British Council’s Fine Arts Department from 1948 to 1970. Notably the British Council awarded Nicholson a painting work allowance which enabled him to purchase a car with which he toured France and Italy with his friend Cyril Reddihough in the summer of 1950. Nicholson was generous in gifting his Wallis paintings to his friends and it is tempting to think the present depiction of Mount Ararat was a thank you to Lilian Somerville. For another painting of Noah’s Ark see Edwin Mullins, Alfred Wallis, London, 1967, p. 89.
We are very grateful to Jovan Nicholson for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.