Mary, Queen of Scots at Fotheringhay 1929

John Duncan’s 1929 painting “Mary, Queen of Scots at Fotheringhay” portrays the Scottish Queen in her final days before her execution. The painting shows Mary, Queen of Scots seated, calmly reading a book while surrounded by a scene of chaos and violence. The background, which includes a line of soldiers and a fallen knight, is reminiscent of the drama and violence surrounding Mary's fate. This poignant depiction of Mary in the face of her own impending doom captures the solemnity of the situation. The quote above her head, “En ma fin est mon commencement,” translates to “In my end is my beginning,” and alludes to the cyclical nature of life and death, and the inevitability of her demise.