Porthleven, 1962
signed and dated twice 'Lanyon 62' and 'Lanyon 10/4/62' l.r., inscribed with title to l.l. edge, also signed, dated and inscribed 'Lanyon/62/1 sketch for Stanley Seager/NJ US' to right edge verso, gouache and ink
105 x 992cm

Provenance: Given to Andrew Lanyon by his mother, Mrs S M Lanyon;
the property of a private collector.

Literature: Michael Bird, 'Porthmeor: A Peter Lanyon Mural Rediscovered', a catalogue published by Victoria Art Gallery, Bath, for the exhibition held 25 October 2008 - 4 January 2009, illustrated p.34;
Toby Treves, 'Peter Lanyon; Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil Paintings and Three-Dimensional Works', Modern Art Press, London, 2018, illustrated p.565, fig.137.


Peter Lanyon's 'Porthleven' (1962) and Its Transformation into 'Porthmeor': A Study of Landscape, Abstraction, and Identity

Peter Lanyon (1918-1964) was a pivotal figure in British modernism, particularly within the St Ives School, where he redefined landscape painting through abstraction. His approach did not simply depict the natural world but rather sought to capture its movement, atmosphere, and raw physicality. 'Porthleven' (1962), a preparatory piece for the large-scale 'Porthmeor' mural, exemplifies Lanyon's engagement with landscape as a lived and dynamic experience. This work reflects not only his personal connection to Cornwall but also broader themes of artistic evolution, international patronage, and the challenges of translating place on to canvas.

The Commission and the Evolution of 'Porthleven'

In 1962, American collector Stanley J Seeger commissioned Lanyon to create a monumental painting for the music room of his Texas residence, Bois d'Arc. Seeger, who had been collecting Lanyon's work since 1957, initiated the commission after seeing his exhibition at the Catherine Viviano Gallery in New York (Causey, 1994). Lanyon responded by producing three full-scale gouache and ink sketches – 'Porthleven', 'Bois d'Arc' and 'Delaware' before Seeger selected 'Porthleven' as the final design.

To complete the mural, Lanyon relocated his workspace to the larger Porthmeor Studios in St Ives. However, when the finished painting arrived in the United States in November 1962, Seeger noticed significant deviations from the original concept. In response, Lanyon travelled to Texas to modify the work over a two-week period. The exact changes he made remain unclear, but the painting was ultimately accepted and remained in Seeger's home for nearly four decades (Stephens, 2000). The decision to rename the piece 'Porthmeor' suggests a conceptual shift - perhaps a personal reconnection to the Cornish landscape, despite its intended function within an American setting.

Lanyon's Immersive Approach to Landscape

Unlike traditional landscape painters who sought to represent a static scene, Lanyon developed a practice that emphasised immersion, movement, and physical engagement. His work was heavily influenced by his experiences of walking the rugged Cornish terrain, feeling the force of the Atlantic winds, and later, gliding above the landscape. This aerial perspective fundamentally reshaped his spatial compositions, leading to fragmented, multi-angled forms that evoke the sensation of being within the landscape rather than merely observing it (Cross, 2007).

David Lewis, a close friend of Lanyon and a central figure in the St Ives movement, described this approach vividly:

'His paintings were the landscape in action. It was as if his brushes, laden with liquid pigments, were the collisions of seas, winds and clouds, and the surfaces on which he painted were the granite core of the land.' (Lewis, 1980).

'Porthleven', as a transitional work, encapsulates this philosophy. The gestural dynamism of the painting - marked by sweeping lines, layered textures, and a palette suggestive of sea, sky, and rock - conveys the elemental energy of the Cornish coast. Lanyon did not seek to illustrate the town of Porthleven itself but rather to express its essence: the movement of waves against the harbour, the shifting weather, and the ever-changing light.

The 1960s Context: Transatlantic Modernism and the St Ives School

Lanyon's work in the early 1960s coincided with a period of increasing international recognition. His exhibitions in New York placed him in dialogue with the Abstract Expressionists, particularly artists like Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline, whose gestural techniques resonated with his own (Stephens, 2000). However, while American abstraction often prioritised non-representational forms, Lanyon remained firmly rooted in the idea that landscape - specifically the Cornish landscape - should remain central to his practice.

This transatlantic exchange was further emphasized by the commission for Seeger. The journey of 'Porthleven' from Cornwall to Texas highlights the shifting patronage of modern art, as well as the challenges of adapting a highly localised, site-responsive artistic practice to an international audience. The eventual renaming of the mural to 'Porthmeor' may suggest Lanyon's desire to reclaim its connection to St Ives, particularly as the site of his new studio and a deeply personal space of artistic creation.

Conclusion: 'Porthleven' as a Pivotal Work in Lanyon's Oeuvre

The transformation of 'Porthleven' into 'Porthmeor' reveals the complexities of Lanyon's artistic process, balancing personal vision with external expectations. As a preparatory work, 'Porthleven' serves as a vital document of his evolving compositional strategies, capturing the raw energy of the Cornish landscape in a way that transcends traditional representation.

Lanyon's untimely death in 1964 following a gliding accident only intensifies the significance of his late works. His paintings were never mere landscapes - they were embodiments of lived experience, infused with the physicality of place and movement. As Lewis poignantly observed,

'He has left us with a legacy of relentlessly fierce clash-filled visual poems, in all likelihood the most powerful, direct and dramatic landscape poetry of our century.' (Lewis, 1980).

Through works like 'Porthleven' and 'Porthmeor', Lanyon's legacy endures, not as a painter of landscapes, but as an artist who made landscape itself an active, dynamic force within modern painting.

References

A Causey, 'Peter Lanyon: Modernism and the Land', Reaktion Books, 1994.
D Lewis, Peter Lanyon and the Poetics of Landscape', Tate Papers, 1980.
T Cross, 'Painting the Warmth of the Sun: St Ives Artists 1939-1975', Tate Publishing, 2007.
C Stephens, 'Peter Lanyon: At the Edge of Landscape', Tate Publishing, 2000.

Condition Report

Stored rolled. Undulations and creases. Numerous rips and tears, some repaired with tape verso. The upper right corner has a 32cm wide x 17cm high section missing and the work is backed with paper in this area. The top edge is stuck down/ backed along the length of the work with a strip of thick paper. Dirty marks and light stains in places. Faint footprint (?) marks to the upper right. There is a vertical tear through the centre of the work approx 550cm in from the right edge which has been repaired with a wide strip of paper applied to the reverse. Rips and a large number of pinhloes/ piercingss to the top edge. Fine cracking, scuffs and abrasions to the paint. Foxing to the edges and reverse. A small hole to the lower centre. A large vertical tear 43cm in length which has been repaired with tape verso, approx. 350cm in from the right edge at the bottom of the sheet. Please see additional condition images.

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