Studio: international art (10.1897)

Mural Decoration in Scotland

and the figures are most skilfully grouped. The dead St. Fergus, in a waggon drawn by untamed
forms are courageously conventionalised, and bulls. The fifth panel is The Vision of Johannes
architectural claims admitted. Scotus Erigena, a weird presentment of the sage's

Mr. Duncan's next considerable work was the vision of his own naked soul sweeping past him
decoration of the Common-room of Ramsay Lodge in a flame to perdition. The sixth and last of
University Hall. This was a much bigger under- the executed panels shows Michael Scot trans-
taking, and meant the painting of seven large lating Aristotle with that " maistre o' maistres"
panels. The subjects are drawn from Celtic his- standing behind him; The last of the panels,
tor)'. The first is Tlie Awakening of Cuchullin. still blank, is to be devoted to The Admirable
Cuchullin, the hero of an ancient cycle of Gaelic Crichton.

Saga, wakes refreshed from the fever and the Throughout this series Mr. Duncan has adopted
wounds of battle after three days' sleep under the an extremely ornamental method. He has con-
guard of his father Lerg, of Faerieland. The second ventionalised in the ancient Celtic taste of the
is The Combat of Fionn (Fingal) with Swaran, the Book of Kelts. The borders, even more markedly
Scandinavian. The third is The Taking of Ex- in the same taste, are the work of Miss Helen
calibur. This is one of the finest of the set, and Hay and other members of the Old Edinburgh
is reproduced here. The picture tells Tennyson's School of Art, of which Mr. Duncan is director,
story, translating the poetry of words into the At present, Mr. Duncan is doing for Mr. James
poetry of paint. The colour-scheme is violet, pale Beveridge, of Pitreavie Castle, Dunfermline, a
green, lemon, yellow and red. Fourth, we have The series of mural decorations based on the story of
Journey of St. Mungo (also reproduced here). St. Orpheus, as told by Henryson of Dunfermline,
Mungo is taking, to be buried at Glasgow, the which, as far as they have gone, are most charac-
teristic and beautiful.

Mr. Duncan's mural work
is only slightly modelled—
has, indeed, just about the
same relief as that of Puvis
de Chavannes. His ar-
rangements are more orna-
mental than that artist's,
and his ornament is more
employed in detail. The
tone of his colour, remark-
ably low and subtle in his
earlier paintings, is similar,
but less monochromatic.

But comparisons are the
last thing suggested by Mr.
Duncan. His charm is
that there is nobody like
him. He is thoroughly
individual. Classic re-
straint marks his composi-
tion and technique, while
the dramatic intensity of
his treatment betrays the
fervour of the Celtic tem-
perament. His hand shapes
and orders his phantasy,
and his phantasy gives
verve to his hand.

Mr. Duncan's twin star

'o lang, lang may the ladies sit " in the strikingly decorative

decorative panel by Charles a. mackib departure on Castle Hill is

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