{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O367404"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O367404/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF0591/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF0591/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BF0591","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O367404","accessionNumber":"CIRC.400-1962","objectType":"Eagle - Red, Green and Black","titles":[{"title":"Eagle - Red, Green and Black","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"Before this piece was woven, Graham Sutherland (1903-1980), best known for his abstract landscapes and striking portraiture, had designed two earlier tapestries. '<i>Wading Birds</i>' (1949) was the first of ten tapestries woven at Dovecot Studios from his designs. It is a semi-realistic depiction of purple herons, birds that he would have observed on his regular trips to the Cote d'Azur. Taken from a small sketch-like design, Sutherland's dense gouache brushstrokes are represented by sweeping areas of carefully blended colours, a technique pioneered by head weaver Ronald Cruikshank, which added depth and variety to the purple background. At this period of post-war shortage there was a deliberate policy of limited colour palettes which did not include purple wool. The colour was achieved very successfully by a mixture of red and blue threads. In 1952, this tapestry was featured in the 26th Venice Biennale. \r\n‘<i>The Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph</i>’ tapestry in Coventry Cathedral (commissioned in 1951, unveiled in 1962) was designed by Graham Sutherland and woven by Pinton Frères at Felletin near Aubusson. Originally it had been hoped that it would be woven at the Dovecot but after several trial pieces had been produced under the direction of Sax Shaw, the differences in approach became irreconcilable. As the tapestry was to be approximately 23m (75ft) tall, the Dovecot believed that it ought to be woven on its side, in the traditional way, as there is always a risk involved in hanging any large panel by its warps, and this was far larger than anything ever done at this time. The Dovecot thought that the danger of weight of wool causing the weft to slip was too great to be risked and so they wished to weave the tapestry in three to four sections and join them invisibly. Again, this was the practice in the past, but neither the artist nor the architect was happy about it and so, as far as the Dovecot was concerned, the project was abandoned. \r\nGraham Sutherland worked intermittently on the Coventry commission for 11 years. ‘<i>Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph</i>’ depicts the risen Christ in heavenly environment, surrounded by the Tetramorph:  the symbols of the four evangelists. Matthew is represented as the winged man, Mark as the winged lion, Luke as the winged ox, and John is represented as the Eagle. Sutherland based the design of ‘<i>Eagle – Red, Green and Black’</i> (1958) on the symbol of St. John that he had designed for Coventry. \r\n‘<i>Eagle – Red, Green and Black’</i> was specifically woven for the exhibition ‘British Artist-Craftsmen’. It was a significant traveling show in 1959-1960, organized by the Smithsonian Institution's National Collection of Fine Arts (NCFA) and sponsored by the British Ambassador, featuring 178 works, including textiles, ceramics, glass and silver.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Woven tapestry in red, green and black.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Sutherland, Graham Vivian","id":"A6934"},"association":{"text":"designers","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Sax Shaw","id":"AUTH411544"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"Director of Weaving"},{"name":{"text":"Fred Mann","id":"AUTH411545"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"Weaver"},{"name":{"text":"Harry Wright","id":"AUTH411548"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":"Weaver"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Dovecot Studios","id":"C7041"},"association":{"text":"weaver","id":"AAT25367"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Edinburgh Tapestry Company Ltd","id":"A12188"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wool","id":"x40131"}],"techniques":[{"text":"tapestry","id":"AAT61981"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Tapestry-woven. 12 warp threads to inch. Wool.","categories":[{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Interiors","id":"THES48933"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"THES262877"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2006BF0591"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES325851"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Tapestry","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Edinburgh","id":"x28816"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1958","earliest":"1958-01-01","latest":"1958-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased for £450. Received from British Artist-Craftsmen Ltd., 82 Fountain House, W1 (London)","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"60","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"43","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"14.5","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Weight of object on storage pole with object T.187-1979."}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Sutherland / 1958'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signature and date woven in black wool in the front bottom left corner.  "}],"objectHistory":"This tapestry was commissioned for the travelling exhibition 'British Artist-Craftsmen' (US tour, 1959-1960 by the Smithsonian Institution). \nShown in the Scottish Arts Council 'Dovecot Tapestries' Jubilee exhibition, 1962.\nExhibited in 'Tapestries from the Dovecot', Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Academy, August - September 1980.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Woven tapestry 'Eagle - Red, Green and Black', designed by Graham Sutherland, woven by the Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh Tapestry Company, Edinburgh, 1958","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>Master weavers: tapestry from the Dovecot Studios, 1912-1980,</i> Edinburgh, Canongate, 1980, pp. 60-61"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["CIRC.400-1962"],"accessionNumberNum":"400","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1962,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-16","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":false}}