Tillers of the Soil
Andrews made numerous prints inspired by her hometown of Bury St Edmunds and the agricultural activities around which the local economy was based. Tillers of the Soil is dominated by a team of Shire horses. Designated as laborers, these massive animals engage in grueling physical work in tandem with the farmer. Their sturdy, thick bodies connect them to the land, while their legs, raised in unison, and the prominent yokes around their necks indicate the rigor of the chores they perform. They exist in stark contrast to the pedigreed horses used in leisure activities, such as steeplechases and horseback riding, enjoyed by the middle class and wealthy. The elongated forms of these elegant animals are often shown effortlessly leaping in works such as Andrews’s In Full Cry.
Artwork Details
- Title: Tillers of the Soil
- Artist: Sybil Andrews (Canadian (born England), Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk 1898–1992 Victoria, British Columbia)
- Date: 1934
- Medium: Color linocut on Japanese paper
- Dimensions: Sheet: 12 1/4 × 15 1/2 in. (31.1 × 39.4 cm)
Image: 10 1/2 × 13 9/16 in. (26.6 × 34.4 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Purchase, Leslie and Johanna Garfield Gift, Lila Acheson Wallace, Charles and Jessie Price, and David T Schiff Gifts, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, Dolores Valvidia Hurlburt Bequest, PECO Foundation and Friends of Drawings and Prints Gifts, and funds from various donors, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.592.71
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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Sybil Andrews
1930
Sybil Andrews
1933
Sybil Andrews
1931
Sybil Andrews
1934
Sybil Andrews
1930
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