A view of the Villefranche harbour taken from the shore. At centre people remove nets from a fishing boat, and working ships crowd along the shoreline. Signed by artist.

Wyllie travelled extensively, often on shipping and cruise ships. To fund his cruises Wyllie often painted portraits of the cruise ships. In 1893, and the late 1920s (probably 1928) Wyllie visited the Mediterranean. The works resulting from the 1920s trip included two paintings exhibited at the Royal Academy: 'The temple of Pallas Athene from the sea' (1929), and 'Athens from the Gulf of Aegina', exhibited posthumously in 1931. He also produced a set of six drypoints of the Mediterranean, among them views of Gibraltar, Naples and Malta. Related works in the collection include PAF1451, PAF1483, PAF2007.

W. L. Wyllie (1851-1931) was a British Marine artist. Born in London, Wyllie painted, drew, and etched Thames scenes throughout his life. He moved to Portsmouth in 1907, where he continued working, supported the restoration of the Victory and painted the Trafalgar Panorama. Early in his career Wyllie was an illustrator for The Graphic, and he became a member of the Royal Academy in 1907.