Sutherland’s early reputation was established through his etchings; he had his first exhibition in 1924, while still a student at Goldsmiths, and before the Goldsmith group ‘discovered’ Palmer in 1925, when Sutherland would develop his mature etching style.

He only took up painting in the early 1930’s, when the etching boom had come to an end. Sutherland was also influenced by Griggs. Like Griggs, he converted to Catholicism, and felt a romantic attachment to the lost world of pre-Reformation England, which he evoked in a number of plates etched 1926-28.

In St Mary Hatch he etched an inscription of the first two verses of Psalm 15 (in Latin) in the plate border at the foot, in scratch letters, which he removed for the later states.

Domine quis habitat in tabernaculo tuo aut quis requiescet in monte sancto tuo qui ingreditur sine macula et operata justitiam
(Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness).

This etching 3rd-5th state of 5, after the plate reduced in height, removing the inscription at the foot. A proof, on thin antique laid paper, annotated towards the bottom edge of the sheet S imp.