Graham Sutherland, 1903 – 1980
Graham Sutherland: The 61 Best-Known Paintings
Of all Graham Sutherland's paintings, Welsh Landscape with Roads (1936) is the most famous. Close behind come Large Vine Pergola No.2 (1948) and Flying Bomb Depot (verso) (1945). Among the 61 works by Graham Sutherland in our catalogue, these 61 are the most celebrated, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated oktoober 2026.
- Born · died
- 1903 – 1980, Streatham
- Movement
- Neo romanticism
- Works in our catalogue
- 61
- Most famous
- Welsh Landscape with Roads (1936)
- Most works at
- British Council Collection
Graham Sutherland's 10 most celebrated paintings
2
Large Vine Pergola No.2
To stand before Graham Vivian Sutherland's "Large Vine Pergola No.2" is to step into a vibrant, emotionally charged landscape rendered entirely through pigment and gesture. This piece is not merely a depiction; it is an experience—a confluence of organic energy captured at the height of modern artistic expression. The eye is immediately drawn into the heart of the composition, where bold white forms suggest the graceful, almost architectural sweep of…
3
Flying Bomb Depot (verso)
Graham Vivian Sutherland's “Flying Bomb Depot (verso),” painted in 1945, isn’t merely a depiction of wartime devastation; it’s a profoundly unsettling meditation on the intersection of nature, destruction, and human vulnerability. Created during a period when Britain was grappling with the realities of aerial bombardment and the looming shadow of defeat, this work transcends its immediate subject matter to become a poignant symbol of a world irrevocably altered. The painting…
10
Tree Form
Graham Vivian Sutherland’s 1941 painting, “Tree Form,” isn’t merely a depiction of a tree; it’s an immersion in primal emotion and a profound exploration of the natural world filtered through the lens of Surrealism. This arresting work, housed within a relatively modest 39 x 31 cm canvas, immediately commands attention with its unsettling yet captivating composition – a colossal, textured creature emerging from a void of deep indigo. It’s a…
Graham Sutherland paintings ranked 11 to 61
#11
Palm and Wall
In "Palm and Wall" by Graham Sutherland, a rectangular piece of woven textile is centered against a solid black background. The composition is vertical. It relies on a…
#12
Flying Bomb Depot (recto)
Graham Vivian Sutherland's "Flying Bomb Depot (recto)," painted in 1945, isn’t merely a depiction of wartime architecture; it’s a profound meditation on destruction, isolation, and the unsettling beauty…
#13
Pink Vine Pergola
Graham Vivian Sutherland's "Pink Vine Pergola," painted in 1947, isn’t merely a landscape; it’s a carefully constructed distillation of mood and memory. It captures a fleeting, almost melancholic…
#14
The Marshalling Yard at Trappes, France Damage Done by RAF
The Marshalling Yard at Trappes, France Damage Done by RAF is a work by Graham Vivian Sutherland. Completed in 1944, the painting captures a moment of stillness amidst…
#15
Portuguese-British alliance
In this 1957 work, Graham Sutherland moves away from the heavy, visceral textures of his wartime landscapes toward a more structured, almost dreamlike composition. Portuguese-British alliance presents a…
#16
Thorn Tree
Graham Vivian Sutherland's "Thorn Tree," painted in 1946, isn’t merely a landscape; it’s an immersion into the heart of Pembrokeshire’s rugged beauty, filtered through the uniquely perceptive eye…
#17
Landscape Undulations with Undergrowth
Landscape Undulations with Undergrowth is a work by Graham Sutherland. Created in 1942, the piece emerged during a period when the artist was transitioning from printmaking toward the…
#18
Lühike tee põhjõe vahele
Narrow Road Between Hedges – A Surreal Landscape by Graham Sutherland Graham Vivian Sutherland’s “Narrow Road Between Hedges,” painted in 1938–1939, stands as a cornerstone of British Surrealist…
#19
The Deposition
Graham Vivian Sutherland’s “The Deposition,” painted in 1947, is not merely a depiction of a biblical scene; it's a profoundly moving meditation on loss, sacrifice, and the enduring…
#20
Landscape in the South of France
In the quiet moments of contemplation, few scenes capture the soul as tenderly as Landscape in the South of France. Painted in 1950 by the master of British…
#28
Black Landscape
#29
Western Hills
#37
Red Landscape
#39
Crucifixion
#42
Horned Forms
#45
Crucifixion
#46
Green Lane
#48
Head
#52
Thorn Head
#54
Dark Entrance
#55
Green Tree Form
In the quiet tension of 1940, amidst the gathering shadows of World War II, Graham Vivian Sutherland birthed a masterpiece that would redefine the boundaries of the British…
#57
Palm on Wall
“Palm on Wall,” painted in 1948 by Graham Vivian Sutherland, stands as a cornerstone of British Expressionism and exemplifies his masterful ability to fuse the contemplative spirit of…
#58
Estuary
Graham Sutherland is best known as a war artist during the Second World War and for his designs for Coventry Cathedral. His early works were almost all etchings…
#59
Welsh mountains
#61
Study of a Hand
Graham Sutherland's canvases, period by period
Post-War Period
1945 – 1947 · 3 works in this list
Mature Period
1939 – 1957 · 18 works in this list
What Graham Sutherland painted most
The four subjects that return most often on these canvases, each with its best-loved example.
Landscape 8 works
British art 5 works
Pembrokeshire 3 works
Birds 3 works
Where Graham Sutherland's canvases hang
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Graham Sutherland | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 British Council Collection |
London | 5 | Large Vine Pergola No.2, Pink Vine Pergola, Thorn Tree |
 Pallant House Gallery |
Chichester | 3 | Landscape in the South of France, Crucifixion, Track Junction in the South of France |
 Bristol Museum - Art Gallery |
Bristol | 2 | Flying Bomb Depot (verso), Flying Bomb Depot (recto) |
 Kanada Rahvusgalerii |
Ottawa | 2 | Large Vine Pergola, Head |
 Leeds Art Gallery |
Leeds | 2 | Tree Form, The Marshalling Yard at Trappes, France Damage Done by RAF |
 The Phillips Collection |
Washington, D.C. | 2 | Palm and Wall, Dark Entrance |
 New Walk Museum - Art Gallery |
Leicester | 2 | Lühike tee põhjõe vahele, The Laughing Woman (study) |
 Government Art Collection |
London | 2 | Cornfield and Stone, Origins of the Land No.1 |
Decade by decade: Graham Sutherland's most celebrated canvas
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1930s
Ranked 1 of 61Welsh Landscape with Roads
-
1940s
Canvas 2 of 61Large Vine Pergola No.2
To stand before Graham Vivian Sutherland's "Large Vine Pergola No.2" is to step into a vibrant, emotionally charged landscape rendered entirely through pigment and gesture. This piece is…
-
1950s
Ranked 8 of 61Edward Sackville-West, 5th Lord Sackville (1901-1965)
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1970s
Your questions on Graham Sutherland's paintings, answered
Which is the most celebrated painting by Graham Sutherland?Read the answer
Welsh Landscape with Roads (1936), followed by Large Vine Pergola No.2 (1948) and Flying Bomb Depot (verso) (1945).
How old was Graham Sutherland at the time of Welsh Landscape with Roads?Read the answer
Graham Sutherland, born in 1903, was 33 years old: Welsh Landscape with Roads dates from 1936.
Which ten paintings is Graham Sutherland most famous for?Read the answer
Welsh Landscape with Roads, Large Vine Pergola No.2, Flying Bomb Depot (verso), Press for Making Shells, Large Vine Pergola, Flying Bomb Depot The Caverns, Saint Leu d'Esserent, 14 January 1945, Somerset Maugham, Edward Sackville-West, 5th Lord Sackville (1901-1965), Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown and Tree Form. Each canvas in the ranking above comes with its year and its museum.
How many paintings by Graham Sutherland are known?Read the answer
61 works by Graham Sutherland are in our catalogue, dated 1936 to 1976.
Which museums hold Graham Sutherland's best-known canvases?Read the answer
Mostly in British Council Collection (London), Pallant House Gallery (Chichester) and Bristol Museum - Art Gallery (Bristol); the list above names each museum and its canvases.
In which years did Graham Sutherland paint the most celebrated canvases?Read the answer
In 1940s, which gave 38 of the 61 works on this page, Large Vine Pergola No.2 among them.
What are the first and the last of Graham Sutherland's famous canvases?Read the answer
The earliest canvas here is Welsh Landscape with Roads (1936); the latest is Edward Langton Iliffe, 2nd Baron Iliffe of Yattendon (1908-1996) (1976).
Which subjects return most often in Graham Sutherland's paintings?Read the answer
Landscape (8), British art (5) and Pembrokeshire (3), across the 61 works on this page.
What did Graham Sutherland usually paint with?Read the answer
Oil On Canvas, used in 4 of the 61 works on this page.
To which art movement does Graham Sutherland belong?Read the answer
Neo romanticism, as the canvases on this page show.
What can I see by Graham Sutherland at the British Council Collection?Read the answer
The British Council Collection, London holds 5 of the works on this page, among them Large Vine Pergola No.2, Pink Vine Pergola and Thorn Tree.
Graham Sutherland: the painter's story
Graham Vivian Sutherlandi visionäärlikud maastikud
Briti modernismi titan Graham Vivian Sutherland sulaldas haruldase võime muuta looduse tuttavad kontuurid valamistuks sügavalt rahutuks ja vaimseks teemaks. Londi Streathamis 1903. aastal sündinud Sutherlandi teekond oli pidev metamorfoos. Kuigi tema varajased aastad olid kujundatud klassikalise haridusega Epsom College'is, ilmus tema tõeline kutsumus kaugel tema perekonna õigusaastest. Tema esimene samm tehnilisse maailma said Midland Railway Locomotive Works'i õpilaskohas pakkus täpsuse alust, mis ilmestas hiljem tema keerulistes grafikatöödes ja tekstuursetes õliteemlikudes maalides. Siirudes Goldsmiths' School of Art kooli, hakkas Sutherland lahikumatus traditsioonilisest esitlusviisist, tõmmates teda ligi etsingu ja joonistuse kutsuvat jõlu.
Kunstniku varajane esteetika oli sügavalt juurdunud Samuel Palmeri romantismi, kuid ta keeldus minevikus kinni jäänust. Selle asemel toimis Sutherland sild Inglise pastoraalse traditsiooni ja Euroopa avangardliikumuste radikaalse energiaga. Imutsedes endasse surrealismi unenäolikku loogikat ja ekspressionismi rågedat emotsionaalsust, arendas ta visuaalset keelt, mis suutas tabada nii füüsilist maastikku kui ka psühholoogilist seisundit. Tema varajased grafikatööd, mida iseloomustasid saladuslikkus ja organiseline vorm, laidid aluse karjäärile, mida isendatud looduse "kummalisuse" obsesioon — teemaga, mis sai tema kõige püsivamaks pärandiks.
Looduse varjud ja sõja aastad
1940. aastad märgisid Sutherlandi arengus murdepunkt, mil tema fookus liikus õrnda grafika meediumist õlmaliituse impasto-tekstuursetele õliteemlikule maalidele. Just sel perioodil sai Pembrokesse'i karge ja tuulise maastik oma peamiseks musaks. Töödes nagu Thorn Tree, saab näha kunstniku meistriklassi botanimaanilise reaalsuse ühendamisel surrealistliku moonutusega. Ta ei maalinu pelgalt puid; ta maalinu pinget, võitlust ja elu endase luustavust. See periood nägi teda liikumisel kaugemale abstraktsest, kuid sügavalt sümbolistlikust vaatamisviisist, kus põhadas, juured ja vigased oksad toimisid metafooradena inimliku haavatavuse ja vastupidavuse kohta.
Teine maailmasõda tõi tema tööde ellu teise, tumedadama dimensiooni. Tegenedes ametlikku sõja kunstnikuna, pööras Sutherland oma pilgu Briti koduriconfontide tööstuslikele ja sageli hirmutavatele stseenidele. Tema selle ajastu maalid, nagu Flying Bomb Depot The Caverns, on atmosfääri meisterklassid. Raske tekstuuride ja värvipaleti kaudu, mis peegeldab nii lagunemist kui ka hirmutust, tabas ta sõjaaastate siseruumide karedat rühvust. Need teosed ei olnud pelgalt dokumentatsioon; need olid psühholoogilised portreetsid ajastust, mida isendatud ärevus ja hädamuse vähitsemine, peegeldades sõja vastu maailma purunenud reaalsust.
Sümbolismi ja grandioossusest pärand
Sõjajärgsetel aastatel tõusis Sutherlandi töö uuele vaimsele ja avalikule olulisusele. Ta hakkas integreerima religioosset sümbolikat oma organisilistesse motiividesse, luues võimsuse sümbioosi pühasuse ja looduse vahel. See culminas ühe tema monumentaalseima saavutusega: massiivse kesksepestri projekteerimisega uuele Coventry katedraalile pealkirjaga Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph. See teos, mis kasutas tema võimet manipuleerida vormi ja värvi suuremõõliskultuuril, seisab kui tunnistus tema rollist pärast sõda Briti kultuurilises taastamises.
Tema rikkalik karjäär võimaldas Sutherlandil jätta tematu jälje mitmetes valdkondades:
Lõplikult jääb Graham Sutherland 20. sajandi kunsti nurgakiviks, sest ta julges vaadata maastiku pindala all. Ta leidis surrealistliku reaalsetest asjadest ja jumaliku organisestest vormidest. Tema pärand ei leiavatena vaid muuseumites, vaid viisil, kuidas me tajume ümbritseva maailma peidetud, sageli teravat ilu — maailma, kus iga põhadas hoiab lugu ja iga varju sees peitub saladus.