“The Sentinel,” created by Desmond Morris in 1976, belongs to the Surrealism art movement and is a figurative artwork. This painting is characterized by fantastical, dream-like elements that challenge the viewer’s perception of reality, typical of Surrealism.
The artwork depicts a surreal landscape with a central focus on an enigmatic structure resembling a green, striped platform. Atop this platform lie two organic, amorphous forms that convey a sense of growth and fluidity. These forms feature intricate, vein-like patterns, amplifying their biological appearance. Surrounding the central figures, the background environment is bizarre and otherworldly with unusual, plant-like structures and a horizon filled with muting colors, instilling a dreamlike atmosphere. The sky, taking on shades of yellow and gray, completes the uncanny scene, contributing to the overall surrealistic and disorienting effect of the painting.
