Wilfred Avery was born in South Molton, Devon. He was educated first at Barnstaple Grammar School and then at St Paul's College, Cheltenham, where he studied painting with James Salmon (later the Principal of Croydon College of Art). Whilst at Cheltenham, Wilfred's growing interest in modern painting was reinforced by a meeting with Paul Nash who encouraged him to look to Paris, rather than to London or New York, for the influences which would subsequently shape his work. This is one of many works by Avery to depict the Devon coast.

This work was previously called ‘Shoreline’.