The symmetrical composition of this large work is particularly characteristic of Wilson’s later style, as is the dramatic use of colour on a black background. From the early 1940s the artist began to experiment with a ‘landscape’ style, which is not landscape in the true sense, but the picture plane is divided into horizontal bands. Totem poles are a favourite motif of Wilson, influenced by his time spent living and travelling in Canada. The central construction may be a castle or more likely a fountain. Fountains occur frequently in Wilson’s work, a reminder of his childhood spent in the public parks of Glasgow.