Piscis Benediction, Sven Berlin (1911–1999), British, oil on board

A bold, folk‑inflected fish by Sven Berlin — once central to post‑war St Ives and later its most vocal detractor.
Disenchanted with the colony’s cold, geometric formalism, he turned to a figurative, vernacular and mystical visual language that prized narrative, ritual and direct expression.

This compact work treats motif as emblem: saturated colour, rhythmic patterning and decorative scale‑work transform a familiar subject into a painted talisman. The piece’s plainspoken, folk‑art sensibility — emphatic fins, repeated marks and a strong decorative rhythm — signals Berlin’s sympathy for self‑taught makers and his interest in mythic, visionary imagery.

Artist stamp to verso. Frame: 23 x 41.5 cm