Sir William Fettes Douglas
The Spell
About this artwork
This unusual image reflects the personal interests of the artist. William Fettes Douglas, a keen collector of armour and Scottish antiquities, was fascinated by alchemy and mysticism. Here, a magician is trying to raise the spirit of a dead man. The bare stone walls, with their strange carvings, are slightly disconcerting, as is the moonlight lighting up the room with a surreal intensity.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Sir William Fettes DouglasScottish (1822 - 1891)
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title:The Spell
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date created:1864
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materials:Oil on canvas
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measurements:77.50 x 157.00 cm; Framed: 105.50 x 183.80 x 12.20 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Presented by James T Gibson-Craig 1886
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accession number:NG 779
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gallery:
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subject:
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Sir William Fettes Douglas
Sir William Fettes Douglas
A self-taught painter, William Fettes Douglas worked as a bank clerk in Edinburgh for ten years. He was a keen antiquarian and collector, and his interests in those fields influenced his choice of subject matter which sometimes included alchemy, astrology and magic. Enormously learned, he was...
