Duet 1958

Editor: So, this is "Duet" by Sir William MacTaggart, a Scottish artist, and the Tate estimates it was made around 1948. It looks like oil on canvas, and it strikes me as a lively conversation between two still lifes. What do you see in it? Curator: Well, it's less a conversation, more of a joyful shout! MacTaggart’s impasto is so thick, almost sculptural, isn't it? Those flowers are practically bursting off the canvas. It reminds me of Van Gogh, but with a Scottish twist. Editor: A shout! I like that. It’s definitely more dynamic than I initially thought. Do you think the title, "Duet," is ironic, then? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe it suggests two voices singing different melodies that somehow harmonize. It’s about seeing the beauty in discord, maybe? What do you reckon? Editor: I suppose it could be both, couldn't it? Beauty in discord; I'll remember that!