Composition, 1962

The present work likely depicts Portreath, a small port a few miles east of St Ives on the north Cornish coast, with the white form that dominates the centre of the picture representing Portreath daymark. The daymark, a small, round, white building on top of North Cliff at Portreath, was built in 1846 to alert passing ships to their location. Portreath was to become an important subject for Lanyon before and after the war, and he painted the last of his works directly related to the location in 1962.

We are very grateful to Toby Treves for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.