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Ivory, Apes and Peacocks

Artist: Duncan, John, RSA · 1866-1945

Ivory, Apes and Peacocks

John Duncan first conceived the idea for the Diploma Work in the Spring of 1913 (vide John Duncan Notebooks, NLS Acc 6866/5, p.48, March 14th [1913]…

John Duncan first conceived the idea for the Diploma Work in the Spring of 1913 (vide John Duncan Notebooks, NLS Acc 6866/5, p.48, March 14th [1913] "Ivory Apes & Peacocks/ am trying to purify and elevate my types"; op cit., p.71 "In the large drawing of the 'Ivory Apes and Peacocks' I used a small soft towel to rub the drawing with to produce the half tone - with good effect."; NLS Acc 6866/10 (1923-25 & 1928-30), p.1 "Ivory Apes and Peacocks/ Present method of painting in Tempera/ [Terra] Vert preparation/ All colours made up in gradations 3 to 7 overlapping of edges to give softness/ I am working on a scale of 7 tones with Black and white added making 9 tones altogether./ Colours ground up in water only and egg yolk added fresh as required. I have been in the habit of grinding the yolk in with the colours and putting them up in bottles but I found after a certain lapse of time the colour lost its temper - it dried much lighter and I was obliged to wash over whole passages with dilute yolk which I feel is avicious practise."; op cit, p.15, "...My picture Ivory Apes and peacocks looks so disappointing in the galleries [ie the 1923 RSA Annual Exhib]. It looks round and sweet. It has no austerity either of form or colour I must make my shapes sharp, angular and ugly till I cure myself of this weakness. I must drink quinine and tincture of iron, and limit myself to black and white and steel grey. Some desparate measure along can save me. I must pluck myself up by the ears somehow...../ To what little purpose I have studied Mantegna. I thought he and Crivelli were my favourite masters - my adored and revered masters I ought to say. And I am still fool enough to look at Correggio and Piero della Francesca and worst of all Vermeer, most for me I mean." (from selected transcriptions of the John Duncan notebooks by Helen Smailes, NGS, 2014, vide copy in John Duncan artist file)). In the autumn of 1915 he worked on a small sketch of the subject, in 1919 at the RGI he exhibited a watercolour entitled "Attendants of the Queen of Sheba" and in 1922 he exhibited a watercolour study of "Ivory, Apes and Peacocks" at the RSA. In total he was to produce three versions - the watercolour study, the painting that he deposited as his Diploma Work and a smaller version of this which is now in the collection of the Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum. He also produced a pencil study which is in a private collection in Scotland (reproduced on page 73 of Kemplay book). Whilst he was painting the version that was to become his Diploma Work he was wrestling with the difficulties of tempera. At the end of his life in 1945 according to his notebooks he was planning to produce a replica of "Ivory, Apes and Peacocks." (for the genesis of the paintings see Kemplay, John "The Paintings of John Duncan, A Scottish Symbolist." 1994) John Duncan seems to have regarded the Diploma Work as an important piece as in a letter from to the RSA dated 1923-12-08 he cites the dimensions of the painting and explains "The picture.....is one of my most considered works." (Letter is in 20th Century Letters "Academy" but vide conflicting opinion in his notebook, cited above). There appears to be a study for one of the figures in the Diploma Work on page 11 of the sketchbook "Atlanteans" (1993.420). This sketch appears to relate to the figure of a female warrior wearing a helmet and carrying a flower at the front of the procession. In the same sketchbook on page 7 there appear to be a number of studies for the figure of the Queen of Sheba seated on her throne, with a very detailed study for her head - dress. In album 6 (1993.425) on page 24 there is a reproduction of the Glasgow Art Gallery version of 'Ivory, Apes and Peacocks' that has been cut from E.A. Taylor's article 'Some pictures by John Duncan ARSA' from 'The Studio' of 1920, volume 8 although the Glasgow Art Gallery piece was only acquired in 1963 and in 1920 when the article was written was 'in the possession of J. Kent Richardson Esq).

The wooden panels which infill the stretcher on the back of the support carries earlier exhibition labels for the Dundee Fine Art Exhibition, undated, and the Coronation Exhibition of 1911. The title given on both these labels suggest that the panels may have been used for Duncan's earlier work; "Angus Ogue Putting a Spell of Summer Calm Upon the Sea", £120.00 (oil, 1908, NGS - NG2033)