Alex Colville mastered the art of juxtaposition and understood how to compose elements, objects, people and animals in an atmosphere of disquieting tranquility, as though time were suspended. His compositions are constructed according to a precise geometry and executed with a technique consisting of minuscule dabs of paint applied meticulously dot by dot.

The theme of animals, particularly domestic animals, appears in nearly a third of his works.

Factsheet of the work

• Acrylic polymer emulsion on hardboard, 48 x 110.8 cm, 1996, private collection