The Play Garden 1912

John Duncan made this painting, 'The Play Garden,' using muted tones and incredibly intricate brushwork, and it looks like a real labour of love. I imagine him totally immersed, layering scene upon scene like a tapestry of dreams. I’m guessing Duncan was thinking about childhood reverie and imagination, conjuring figures and fantasies from history, myth, and fairy tales. It's like a visual poem with each tiny figure or detail contributing to a grand narrative that feels both intimate and epic. Look at how each little gesture seems intentional, like those bathing in the foreground. Each touch of paint invites us to imagine the inner worlds of these characters. It seems like Duncan wants to show us how our minds are all-encompassing gardens, teeming with life and possibility. And, by the way, who doesn’t love a zebra-striped horse! The painting reminds me that art is just one big playground, an ongoing game of visual call and response.