16. The Ox 1978 - 1979

Curator: This is "The Ox," an etching by Graham Sutherland. What do you make of it? Editor: It feels almost like a nightmare, doesn't it? That churning, organic mass, the high contrast. Curator: Yes, it's unsettling. Oxen often symbolize patience and strength, but here the image is distorted, almost grotesque. Look at how it seems to float in that glowing orb. Editor: And the way the etched lines create such depth and shadow—it really amplifies that sense of unease. The color palette is quite limited but makes it very effective. Curator: Sutherland explored the darker aspects of nature and the animal world—the enduring echoes of ancient fears and primal energies. Editor: I see that now. It’s not just formal experimentation, but a descent into something ancient. A glimpse of something unsettling. Curator: It leaves one with a visceral sense of the precariousness of order—a fascinating subversion of animal symbolism. Editor: Indeed, it makes me reconsider the power of the visual and how easily our perceptions can be manipulated through form.