$7,703
Graham Vivian Sutherland (British, 1903-1980) Tree Roots: Dwarf Oak , 1949 Signed and dated "Sutherland 1949" in pen l. r., identified on a label from The Redfern Gallery, Ltd., London, on the backing. Mixed media on paper mounted to matboard, sheet size 4 3/8 x 7 3/8 in. (11.1 x 18.7 cm), framed. Condition: Trimmed sheet, mat burn, subtle toning. N.B. The present work is an example of Sutherland's lifelong fascination with organic forms and fragments found in nature, particularly roots and branches. For Sutherland, these subjects are not simply cold specimen studies, though depicted close-up. In the present work, energetic lines create stark contrasts between surfaces and recesses, giving the object a sense of twisting in space. Sutherland spoke of dwarf oaks as having "the most extraordinary beautiful, varied and rich shapes which detach them from their proper connotation as trees. One does not think of them so much as trees, more as figures; they have the same urgency that certain movements of figures can have in action." (1) Sutherland frequently used his sketchbook studies to develop finished compositions in the studio, and the present work, as evidenced by a spiral bound margin, was presumably one. (1) Alley, Ronald. Graham Sutherland, exh. cat., Tate Gallery, London 1982.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2010-05-21
