Graham Sutherland (British, 1903 – 1980), Study of Machine, 1945

Graham Sutherland (British, 1903 – 1980)

Study of Machine, 1945

Pencil and ink on paper

5.1/2 x 2.3/4 in. (14 x 7 cm.)

Provenance: Ruggerini & Zonca Gallery, Milan, Italy

Literature: Graham Sutherland, J. Andrews 1982, Haverford West, P. 196, Pl. 78 (illustrated)

Graham Sutherland is one of the greatest British painters of all time. A man of deep religious convictions, he painted to commission, shortly after the war, an intensely moving Crucifixion, and is celebrated for his majestic tapestry depicting Christ in Glory, which was unveiled in Coventry Cathedral in 1962.

Trained as an etcher, Sutherland turned to painting in 1930s, finding inspiration in the remote landscape of Pembrokeshire. His concentration on the minutiae of organic growth, in which he found both mystery and a reflection of the ‘divine order’, coupled with his feeling for descriptive line and his sensuous use of colour, resulting in a highly personal style that placed him, with artists such as Henry Moore, in the front rank of the avant-garde in Britain.

Some of Sutherland’s most brilliant and memorable drawings and gouaches were produced during his assignments as an official War Artist. After the war he settled on the Côte d’Azur, where he became a friend of Picasso and Matisse.

His style broadened, and he was acclaimed as an artist of international standing. He painted his first portrait in 1949 of Somerset Maugham and subsequently painted profound and discerning studies of other great contemporaries such as Lord Beaverbrook and Churchill. In his later years he spent a lot of time heading to Wales for inspiration and devoted much of his tireless energy to print -making.

Dimensions

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Condition report