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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Sir William Fettes Douglas

Sir William Fettes Douglas