STUDY FOR THE CRUCIFIXION, ST MATTHEW'S CHURCH, NORTHAMPTON

IN 1944, ON HENRY MOORE'S ADVICE, THE REV. WALTER HUSSEY OF ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH, NORTHAMPTON ASKED SUTHERLAND IF HE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN AN ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION THAT MIGHT COMPLIMENT MOORE'S RECENTLY COMPLETED COMMISSION 'MADONNA AND CHILD'. SUTHERLAND ACCEPTED AND CHOSE THE CLASSIC THEME OF THE CRUCIFIXION. THE COMMISSION BECAME THE BIGGEST AND MOST DIFFICULT FOR THE ARTIST TO DATE. IN 1946 HE FINALLY BEGAN TO TACKLE THE PROJECT. HE TOOK AS INSPIRATION THE CRUCIFIXION BY GRNEWALD WHICH FORMS PART OF THE ISENHEIM ALTARPIECE AND THE GRUESOME AMERICAN DOCUMENT ON THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS, AS THEY WERE FOUND BY LIBERATING TROOPS, CALLED K-Z. ON VIEWING THE PHOTOGRAPHS IN THIS DOCUMENT HE WROTE, 'THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE DEPICTION OF CHRIST CRUCIFIED BECAME MORE REAL TO ME AFTER HAVING SEEN THIS BOOK, AND IT SEEMED TO ME POSSIBLE TO DO THE SUBJECT AGAIN. IN ANY CASE, THE CONTINUING BEASTLINESS AND CRUELTY OF MANKIND, AMOUNTING AT TIMES TO MADNESS, SEEMS ETERNAL AND CLASSIC'. (R. BERTHOUD, SUTHERLAND A BIOGRAPHY, LONDON, 1982, PP.112, 126-127).