Head II

Head II 

ヘッド II

Artist
SUTHERLAND, Graham
サザランド、グレアム
Birth Year
1903
Death Year
1980
Date
1952 
Technique, Material, Format
oil on canvas 
Dimension
91.5 x 71.0 cm 
Category
Oil or Other Painting by Foreign Artist 
Inventory Number
88-OF-012 

A large elongated head, round eyes set to one side, and long antennae-like objects extending out from the face. Is this an insect, a crustacean, like a shrimp or crab, or a mixture of both? Beneath the face is a neck, torso, and what appear to be legs, resting on a pedestal. There are few clues as to the location, but the white lines in the background suggest it is an interior space. At around the time Graham Sutherland made this work, he also produced many portraits of well-known British figures. This is not a portrait, but the realistic depiction of light and shade certainly give this mysterious creature a strong presence. The combination of this confined interior space with this odd subject evokes a sense of unease and fear.
(KATADA Yuko)

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