National Galleries of Scotland

This etching was for Bellany’s second wife, Juliet. However, the same year it was made Juliet died. The following year, Bellany created another etching, this time titled ‘Capercaillie Sings its Lament’ a melancholic lament over Juliet’s death. The contrast between the two is striking. This work is jovial with the artist depicting himself as a capercaillie playing the piano, with a glass of wine and cigarette perched on top. The panel down the right hand side, a device Bellany was employing in his paintings, shows a portrait of Juliet. This etching belongs to a series of prints that principally belong to the period from 1982-6. It demonstrates a bolder, more definitive line than his earlier etchings.