He exhibited in the International Surrealist Exhibition in 1936, and was most impressed with the work of Picasso, and particularly by Guernica when he saw it in London in 1938. From 1940-45 he was an Official War Artist and drew evocative scenes of bomb damage to buildings, as well as mining and quarrying in Wales and Cornwall. His first religious commission was in 1944, a painting for St.Matthew’s Church, Northampton: Sutherland chose to paint a Crucifixion. In 1950-1 he painted the Origins of the Land for the Festival of Britain, and in 1952 designed the huge tapestry of Christ the Redeemer Enthroned in Glory in the Teramorph for the new Coventry Cathedral.

His colour tended to be sharp and acid, and his use of paint dry in texture; his handling of form owed much to the harsher images of metamorphosis by Picasso.

Looking at Art: Questions

Describe it.

What kinds of things do you see in this painting? What else do you see?

What words would you use to describe this painting? What other words might we use?

How would you describe the lines in this picture? The shapes? The colours? What does this painting show?

Look at this painting for a moment. What observations can you make about it?

How would you describe this painting to a person who could not see it?

How would you describe the people in this picture? Are they like you or different?

How would you describe (the place depicted in) this painting?

Relate it.

What does this painting remind you of?

What things do you recognize in this painting? What things seem new to you?

How is this painting like the one we just saw? What are some important differences?

What do these two paintings have in common?

How is this picture different from real life?

What interests you most about this work of art?  

Analyse it.

Which objects seems closer to you? Further away?

What can you tell me about the colours in this painting?

What color is used the most in this painting?

What makes this painting look crowded?

What can you tell me about the person in this painting?

What can you tell me about how this person lived? How did you arrive at that idea?

What do you think is the most important part of this picture?

How do you think the artist made this work?

What questions would you ask the artist about this work, if s/he were here?

Interpret it.

What title would you give to this painting? What made you decide on that title?

What other titles could we give it?

What do you think is happening in this painting? What else could be happening?

What sounds would this painting make (if it could)?

What do you think is going on in this picture? How did you arrive at that idea?

What do you think this painting is about? How did you come up that idea?

Pretend you are inside this painting. What does it feel like?

What do you think this (object) was used for? How did you arrive at that idea?

Why do you suppose the artist made this painting? What makes you think that?

What do you think it would be like to live in this painting? What makes you think that?

Evaluate it.

What do you think is good about this painting? What is not so good?

Do you think the person who painted this do a good or bad job? What makes you think so?

Why do you think other people should see this work of art?

What do you think other people would say about this work? Why do you think that?

What grade would you give the artist for this work? How did you arrive at that grade?

What would you do with this work if you owned it?

What do you think is worth remembering about this painting?