Illustration to Burns's Song 'John Anderson, My Jo'
Burns?s song `John Anderson My Jo? was written in 1789 and included in James Johnson's `Scots Musical Museum?. The motif of the song is the effect of aging on the body; ?Your locks were like the raven, / Your bonie brow was brent; / But now your brow is beld, John, / Your locks are like the snaw?. The song is a tender reflection on the couple?s shared life and enduring love and devotion over their many years together. In this illustration to the song, Weigall shows an elderly couple sitting in a domestic interior. They hold hands and gaze at each other, still very much in love. The man?s bald head and wispy `snaw? white hair are exactly as Burns described.
