Lot 57: John Duncan RSA RSW (1866-1945) The Garden 120.5 x 120.5 cm. (47 7/16 x 47 7/16 in.)

John Duncan RSA RSW (1866-1945)
The Garden signed and dated 'John Duncan 1926' (lower right)tempera120.5 x 120.5 cm. (47 7/16 x 47 7/16 in.)

Provenance: Commissioned by the Stewart family of Keavil House, Dunfermline.This remarkable 'decorative garden' fantasy draws on familiar themes, and may have been Duncan's interpretation of the 'Secret Garden' at Keavil in Fife. Duncan's own family had recently emigrated to South Africa, and the commission would have been a bittersweet experience for its creator. His oeuvre encompassed mural painting and stained glass design, and the later 20s saw him moving away from Celtic subjects towards portraiture and religious themes.