The Play Garden 1912

John Duncan made this painting, The Play Garden, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, maybe in oil or tempera. Look at that layering of details, like a dreamscape built from memories and fairy tales. The whole surface shimmers with a kind of muted luminescence. It’s got this fantastic, almost chaotic composition, right? Your eye just bounces around, trying to take it all in. There's a waterfall and a hot air balloon! A king watches over the whole scene, which reminds me of making a painting, where you're constantly adding and subtracting. The way Duncan uses color is interesting, not quite naturalistic, more like colors from a storybook. And the textures, especially in the figures, are smooth and soft, giving it a dreamlike quality. It reminds me a bit of Edward Burne-Jones, that same sense of nostalgia and longing for an idealized past, but more playful. Ultimately, this painting is about embracing the process, trusting your instincts, and letting the image emerge from the chaos.