Like many of the other artists who relocated to Cornwall during and after the Second World War, the sea served as frequent inspiration for Wynter. He began as a landscape painter, but from the mid-1950s his work became more abstract. Oceanic II is a dramatic work with colours, lines and shapes that follow the flux, flow and layered movement of the sea.

Forbes initially worked on extensive sketches for A Fish Sale on a Cornish Beach. He then worked on his canvas for nearly a year, finally displaying it to critical acclaim at the 1885 Royal Academy exhibition. The quality and detail of the scene he captured in the outdoors stills blows people away today: the weather-beaten fishermen in their sou’wester hats and smocks; the hard-working fisherwomen in their shawls and traditional ‘towser’ aprons; the auction activity taking place on the beach; and the fleet of Cornish luggers with their distinctive red and brown sails in the background.

Plymouth-born artist and engraver, Herbert Francis Williams-Lyouns (1863-c1933) trained in Boston and Paris and painted religious and mythological subjects as well as landscapes and seascapes. Here, he captures the ocean off the coast of Lima, Peru, near the equator as the sunlight dances on the surface of the water.

One of Harvey's early works, this painting shows two boys wearing hats lying on a jetty as they watch two crabs. A group of small children paddle in the sea behind them. Harvey was one of the few Cornish-born artists associated with the Newlyn and Lamorna Schools – groups of artists who settled in West Cornwall from the late 1800s, turning the area into an artistic haven.

This dynamic painting was gifted to Plymouth’s art collection in 1952 by Nancy Astor. It shows four fishermen hard at work in their wet-weather gear at night – most likely gathering herring. It's typical of Wyn George's style with its bright palette, graphic approach and strong contrast between light and dark.