Graham Sutherland O.M. (British, 1903-1980)
Steel Ladle
signed and dated 'Sutherland 42' (lower right)
gouache, collage, pencil, pen & ink
21.5 x 20.3 cm. (8 1/2 x 8 in.)

Provenance
Private Collection, U.K.
Their sale; Freedman's|Hindman Auctions, Chicago, 23 May 2018, where purchased by the present owner

'The sordidness and the anguish implied by some of the scenes of devastation will cause one to invent forms which are the pictorial essence of sordidness and anguish... Dirty-looking forms, tormented forms, forms which take on an almost human aspect' – Graham Sutherland in 1941

In 1940, Graham Sutherland became an official war artists and he produced stark drawings of the damage to the City of London caused by the Blitz. The present work, Sutherland’s 1942, Steel Ladle, is one of many examples produced during this time which reflect Sutherland’s reckoning of the destruction of war. In this case, rather than simply figurative representations of bomb sites, Sutherland choose to display a raw, expressive style, using distorted, almost grotesque forms to convey the anguish and torment of wartime experiences. The depiction of steel and industrial elements in this painting likely reflects the pervasive role of technology and industry in the war effort, while also symbolizing the cold, mechanical nature of conflict. Through such works, Sutherland sought to capture the emotional and physical devastation of the wartime environment, offering a haunting and powerful reflection on the human condition during a time of crisis.