Steer Weather Vane c. 1941

Zabelle Missirian's Steer Weather Vane, a painted copper alloy, offers a robust portrait of bovine determination. The colours – a weathered, almost verdigris green offset by the copper tones of its underbelly and legs – suggest an object exposed to the elements. Imagine Missirian, perhaps outside, working on this piece. She's not just copying; she's capturing the essence of the steer, the way it stands, braced against the wind. There's a simplicity to the form, a reduction to basic shapes that reminds me of folk art, but also of the modernist sculptors who were exploring similar ideas of simplification and essence. The steer's tail, a slight flick of metal, suggests movement, direction. It makes me think about how even static objects can imply dynamism, how a single gesture can communicate a whole world of feeling and intention. It's this kind of visual shorthand that makes art so compelling, don't you think? The history of painting and sculpture is full of similar attempts to capture life, movement, and feeling in simple, elegant forms.