Lamb 1990

Here, Bo Bartlett presents us with ‘Lamb,’ an oil painting that immediately strikes with its unsettling composition and stark realism. A muscular figure stands centrally, holding a skinned lamb. Bartlett's deliberate choice of scale confronts us. The man’s piercing gaze invokes both vulnerability and strength. The rawness of the lamb contrasts with the serene, almost classical, depiction of the man. This juxtaposition prompts a semiotic reading: the lamb, a symbol of innocence and sacrifice, is stripped bare. It challenges traditional readings of pastoral idyll. The landscape, painted in soft hues, offers no comfort, adding to the sense of unease. Bartlett destabilizes established meanings of purity and sacrifice by presenting us with this raw, unflinching image. The painting lingers, provoking ongoing questions about symbolism, representation, and the human condition.