“Fallen Tree Against Sunset,” created by Graham Sutherland in 1940, is a distinguished piece within the Neo-Romanticism movement. This landscape genre artwork reflects Sutherland’s unique interpretation of nature’s forms and the emotive capacity of landscapes.
The artwork depicts a vivid, surreal landscape dominated by a large, curved fallen tree. Rendered in bold, contrasting colors, the background features an intense, fiery sunset, merging with a smokey gray sky, which imparts a dramatic atmosphere. The tree itself is portrayed with almost anthropomorphic qualities, its segments appearing robust and organic. The juxtaposition of the vivid red-orange hues against the somber grayish tones creates a dynamic and somewhat unsettling scene, capturing the tension and mystery inherent in nature’s transformation.
