Mary Swanzy HRHA (1882-1978) The Cockerel Oil on canvas, 51 x 24cm (20 x 9.5'') In this picture Swanzy includes more obvious mythical archetypes than in many of her paintings: a naked girl on a...

Mary Swanzy HRHA (1882-1978) The Cockerel Oil on canvas, 51 x 24cm (20 x 9.5'') In this picture Swanzy includes more obvious mythical archetypes than in many of her paintings: a naked girl on a rock in the sea, a bull with a garland of flowers, a naked sleeping man half in the waves, half on the beach, an enormous hen or cockerel, and a boy carrying a large egg. These are all set against the beautiful pink and gold choppy waters of a dreamy sea and glowing sky. Swanzy may be drawing from characters in Greek mythology, but she gives them her own personal interpretation. The naked girl with the posy of flowers, and the red garment across her legs, who sits on the rock, is similar to figures which appear in several of Swanzy's pictures, perhaps derived partially from Renaissance or Mannerist painting. The bull, which rests it hoofs on her back, is not dissimilar to the Minotaur that appears frequently in the History of Art, and in the twentieth century, in the work of artist's such as Picasso and Michael Ayrton. It is conceivable too that Swanzy may have been stimulated by images in contemporary cinema, for example 'The Seven Voyages of Sinbad'. The naked man, who lies half in the waves, half on the beach, is drawn with crisp strong lines. Perhaps he is the lover who has separated from his loved one by the bull, or a mariner who has been lost at sea. But he rests his hand on his chin; as if he is thinking or sleeping a boy approaches him carrying a large egg, as if a gift. In these two figures the influence of William Blake's illustrations is evident. The dominant creature in the painting is the enormous hen or cockerel, which stands upon the shore above the sleeping man. It looks at the bull or the naked woman with staring eye, beak open and bright red comb. The flaming comb on its back again recalls the illustrations of Blake. The bulkiness of the bird, the largeness of its yellow feet, and the smallness of its head, give a disorientating sense of weight and perspective. It is as if the cockerel sees itself as the protector of the human couple, but the bull has taken the woman and separated her from her lover. Or perhaps Swanzy is suggesting that a powerful or lustful animal nature lies beneath the surface of each human being, struggling for possession. The painting is bathed in warm pink light, the crisp drawing of the human figures is balanced by the soft transparency of the curling waves that merge with glowing sky, and the richly painted body of the bird, all built up by dappled strokes of pink, yellow, green and white. Julian Campbell, October 2008

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