MORRIS COLE GRAVES (1910-2001)

The present work is part of the artist's 1954 Hibernation series. After arriving to Ireland late that year, Graves was inspired by his peaceful, rural surroudings. "The Hibernation series conveys Graves's response to the abrasive, life-damaging impact of our technological society; however, hibernation in this context implies a more universal function and represents a state in which consciousness can enter a higher realm." (R. Kass, Morris Graves: Vision of the Inner Eye, exhibition catalogue, Washington, D.C., 1983, p. 63)