The Black Rabbit 1923

Curator: Here we have Graham Sutherland’s etching, "The Black Rabbit," currently housed in the Harvard Art Museums. There’s no date associated with it. Editor: It feels dark, almost oppressive despite depicting a landscape. The density of the lines creates this heavy, textured effect. Curator: Absolutely. Sutherland, particularly in his early works, often explored themes of nature and industry. Look at the way the lines almost strangle the landscape. The rabbit of the title is nowhere to be seen. Is it a reference to death? Is it something sinister? Editor: It speaks to the exploitation of rural landscapes. The printmaking process itself – the labor, the materials, the creation of multiples – becomes part of that narrative of extraction. Curator: It's a powerful commentary on the changing relationship between humanity and the natural world in the 20th century. Editor: Agreed. Sutherland's process, like the transformation of the land, leaves its mark. Curator: Indeed, a disquieting piece that prompts us to confront uncomfortable truths. Editor: Yes, it’s a somber reflection on progress and its cost.