Sutherland’s Origins of the Land, a vast canvas at over 4 x 3 metres, was commissioned for the 1951 Festival of Britain and was the first exhibit visitors saw on...
Sutherland’s Origins of the Land, a vast canvas at over 4 x 3 metres, was commissioned for the 1951 Festival of Britain and was the first exhibit visitors saw on entering the pavilion. The painting focused on the core themes of the Festival: geological and social history, and the relationship between the land and the creation of future wealth through modernisation. Sutherland produced a significant number of studies for the painting, predominantly painted in subtle yellow ochre tones. This particular work uses keys to symbolise man’s ability to gain access to material and spiritual wealth.