In 1951 Gage travelled to Majorca on a scholarship from Edinburgh College of Art. Settling in the village of Deia, Gage became acquainted with his neighbour, the poet Robert Graves. Graves proved to be an important influence in Gage’s work, with his white goddesses often inspiring the artist’s representation of women. Painted when Gage was teaching at Fettes College, Edinburgh, this work shows two women, who were almost certainly his muses at the time. One holds a bouquet of dried flowers, which appears to feature sea holly, dried artichokes and possibly globe thistle. This can be seen as a reference to his childhood in East Lothian when the family home would often contain dried flowers. The linear, expressionistic use of paint was typical of Gage’s style at this time.