Tillers of the Soil

Sybil Andrews

1934 · Color linocut on Japanese paper · Drawings and Prints

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.

Artist

Sybil Andrews

Date

1934

Medium

Color linocut on Japanese paper

Department

Drawings and 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