Lot Essay
Alice Boyd's work shows the strong influence of William Bell Scott, whom she met when she asked him to give her painting lessons in 1859, and with whom she worked daily after they and Scott's wife had established their ménage à trois. As the present picture demonstrates, however, she often displays a nervous sensibility and edginess which are very much her own. The picture is inspired by Scott's poem The Witch's Ballad, which Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch included in his 1900 edition of The Oxford Book of English Verse.
O, I hae come from far away,
From a warm land far away,
A southern land across the sea,
With sailor-lads about the mast,
Merry and canny, and kind to me.
And I hae been to you town
To try my luck in yon town;
Nort and Mysie, Elspie too.
Right braw we were to pass the gate,
Wi' gowden clasps on girdles blue.
We walk'd abeast all up the street,
Into the market up the street:
Our hair with marigolds was wound
Our bodices with love-knots laced,
Our merchandise with tansy bound.
Nort had chickens, I had cocks,
Gamesome cocks, loud-crowing cocks:
Mysie ducks, and Elspie drakes,
For a wee groat or a poun:
We lost nae time wi'gives and takes.
Witch subjects seem to have fascinated Scott, who had exhibited a picture of King James examining the Witches of North Berwick at the Royal Scottish Academy in 1845.
O, I hae come from far away,
From a warm land far away,
A southern land across the sea,
With sailor-lads about the mast,
Merry and canny, and kind to me.
And I hae been to you town
To try my luck in yon town;
Nort and Mysie, Elspie too.
Right braw we were to pass the gate,
Wi' gowden clasps on girdles blue.
We walk'd abeast all up the street,
Into the market up the street:
Our hair with marigolds was wound
Our bodices with love-knots laced,
Our merchandise with tansy bound.
Nort had chickens, I had cocks,
Gamesome cocks, loud-crowing cocks:
Mysie ducks, and Elspie drakes,
For a wee groat or a poun:
We lost nae time wi'gives and takes.
Witch subjects seem to have fascinated Scott, who had exhibited a picture of King James examining the Witches of North Berwick at the Royal Scottish Academy in 1845.