John Duncan (painter)
Encyclopedia
John Duncan was born in Dundee, Scotland in 1866. His father was a cattleman, but John was disinterest in the family business over an interest in visual art. By the age of 11 he was a student at the Dundee School of Art, then based at the High School of Dundee
.
Called a madman by some and a mystic by others, Duncan admitted to hearing "faerie music" whilst he painted. Although his work remains strongly rooted in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, there is a certain graphical quality which sets it apart from his contemporaries and likens it to Art Nouveau
, while the subject matter is thoroughly Celtic Revival
—he is generally referred to as a "symbolist" by art critics. His interest in Celtic Revival was also shared by the Scottish singer Marjory Kennedy-Fraser
; they eventually became close friends and Duncan painted her while on a trip to Eriskay
in 1905.
His dreamy, mystical nature led him to fall in love with a woman whom he believed to have discovered the Holy Grail
in a well in Glastonbury
and who later divorced him. He never remarried and died in 1945.
High School of Dundee
The High School of Dundee is an independent, co-educational, day school in the city of Dundee, Scotland which provides both primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils...
.
Called a madman by some and a mystic by others, Duncan admitted to hearing "faerie music" whilst he painted. Although his work remains strongly rooted in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, there is a certain graphical quality which sets it apart from his contemporaries and likens it to Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
, while the subject matter is thoroughly Celtic Revival
Celtic Revival
Celtic Revival covers a variety of movements and trends, mostly in the 19th and 20th centuries, which drew on the traditions of Celtic literature and Celtic art, or in fact more often what art historians call Insular art...
—he is generally referred to as a "symbolist" by art critics. His interest in Celtic Revival was also shared by the Scottish singer Marjory Kennedy-Fraser
Marjory Kennedy-Fraser
Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, née Marjory Kennedy was a Scottish singer, composer and arranger.-Biography:Marjory was born in Perth to a well-known Scottish singer, David Kennedy. As a child she used to accompany her father on his tours in Scotland and abroad, playing the piano while he sang...
; they eventually became close friends and Duncan painted her while on a trip to Eriskay
Eriskay
Eriskay , from the Old Norse for "Eric's Isle", is an island and community council area of the Outer Hebrides in northern Scotland. It lies between South Uist and Barra and is connected to South Uist by a causeway which was opened in 2001. In the same year Eriskay became the ferry terminal for...
in 1905.
His dreamy, mystical nature led him to fall in love with a woman whom he believed to have discovered the Holy Grail
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
in a well in Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
and who later divorced him. He never remarried and died in 1945.