According to Pasmore 'This picture is a completely independent abstract painting and not a landscape abstraction. The title was given after it was painted, to form a poetic metaphor.' It develops a theme explored in a series of paintings made between 1968 and 1976, following Pasmore's move to Malta. He turned from relief construction to a more symbolic content, expressed in colour, shape and line. In the earlier of these works, as here, rounded, organic looking abstract motifs appeared to be held in space by dark rod-like forms. Pasmore also links 'The Green Earth' to very early abstracts, like 'Square Motif, Blue and Gold: The Eclipse', also in this gallery: 'it was one of the first to return to my interest in colour.'