Two sailing boats and a lighthouse on a choppy sea

Lighthouses are a frequent motif in Wallis's paintings. Painted in great detail, the importance he accords them in his pictures is symbolic of the vital role they play in the life of anyone who goes to sea. One of the most often depicted in his paintings is Godrevy which is surrounded by a white wall on an island across the bay from St Ives. It is the light a fisherman sees as he returns to the harbour.