Don McCullin

The Murder of a Turkish Shepherd, Cyprus Civil War

About this artwork

In 1964 McCullin was sent by The Observer newspaper to cover the civil war in Cyprus. It was his first international assignment and the photographs he took were to become his first war pictures. This photograph was taken in a little Turkish village not far from the capital city Nicosia, and was McCullin’s first direct encounter with the devastating realities of war. He sought to position himself at the centre of the conflict, documenting distressing scenes as a means of revealing the human suffering and true impact of war. He carefully composed this image in order to show the significance of the moment, recording it in a serious and dignified manner befitting of the scene.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Don McCullin (born 1935) English
  • title:
    The Murder of a Turkish Shepherd, Cyprus Civil War
  • date created:
    1965; printed 2013
  • materials:
    Gelatin silver print on paper
  • measurements:
    35.00 x 50.00 cm (framed: 58.00 x 72.00 cm)
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Purchased with the assistance of the ARTIST ROOMS Fund, supported by the Henry Moore Foundation and Tate Members 2013
  • accession number:
    AR01183
  • gallery:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Don McCullin

Don McCullin