Coventry Cathedral Tapestry

Graham Sutherland was born in 1903 in Streatham. He attended Epsom School and then studied art at Goldsmith’s School of Art (1921-26) where he quickly became a highly skilled etcher. As an official War Artist, Sutherland depicted bomb damage in London but it was not until after the war that he started to become really well known. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 1960 and died in London in 1980.

In his work Sutherland developed an interest in natural forms of growth such as tree roots and thorn bushes which he often depicted in close-up or from foreshortened viewpoints. These organic growth formations, which remained central to Sutherland’s work throughout his career, often appeared menacing or threatening with their hints of human or animal like characteristics.