The Hewer

The hewer is cowering in the left, tapping on the roof to check whether it is safe.

His concentration is obvious in his fixed gaze and open mouth, and his pallid skin is blanched by fear of what may fall. Tom McGuinness applied a translucent green-blue glaze to this painting to produce a sepulchral figure and eerie light, which heightens the emotion of the image.

Gemini Collection, Zurbarán Trust