The artwork, titled “The Wave,” was created by Graham Sutherland in 1968. It belongs to the art movement known as Expressionism and falls under the genre of landscape painting.
The artwork presents a dynamic and evocative composition dominated by dark, brooding tones interspersed with bold, expressive brushstrokes. Sutherland employs a palette of muted greens, blues, and blacks to render an abstract depiction of a natural scene, possibly a wave cresting amidst a turbulent sea. The brushwork is vigorous and textured, emphasizing the movement and energy of the subject matter. Despite the abstraction, one can discern the elemental struggle captured within the painting, a common theme in Expressionist works, which often aim to convey emotional experience rather than physical reality. The wave appears almost sentient, as if emerging with a life of its own, embodying the ethereal and untamed qualities of nature.
