The Shell Seekers is a large painting by Lawrence Stern that features Penelope as a small child. The painting is a symbol of several things in this novel. For Penelope, The Shell Seekers symbolizes the carefree childhood she experienced, the love she shared with her parents, and the happiness she knew while living in Porthkerris, Cornwall. As a child and a young woman, Penelope lived a bohemian lifestyle with her parents that was filled with travel and love. However, her carefree sense of life came to an end when World War II took Sophie’s life and brought both great love and great loss to Penelope. As Penelope married and became a mother, her life changed and she found herself in a loveless marriage that left her struggling to support herself and her husband from the few things her father left her after his death. During the darkest moments, Penelope would stare at The Shell Seekers and find solace in the memories of her days in Porthkerris.

Although the painting represents a tangible connection to the best moments of Penelope’s past, The Shell Seekers also becomes a symbol of Nancy and Noel’s greed. When they learn of the resurgence of interest in Victorian painters and discover the sale price of Lawrence Stern’s painting, The Water Carriers, they become determined to convince their mother to sell The Shell Seekers.