Mosaic Pattern in Doorstep c. 1936

Curator: Before us we have "Mosaic Pattern in Doorstep," a watercolor and ink drawing by Ellen Duncan, created around 1936. It's quite intricate. Editor: My immediate thought is how static it feels. Like a pressed flower, beautiful, but lacking the dynamism I’d expect from a doorway threshold. Curator: It's fascinating how Duncan simulates a mosaic using watercolor. Look at the almost obsessive rendering of individual tesserae. The colors are muted, earthy, confined within that tight rectilinear frame. Editor: Confined, exactly. That red border really boxes in the more fluid designs within. Note the recurring curvilinear forms, echoing Celtic knots. It evokes a sense of ancient ritual, or perhaps a protective ward at the entrance. Curator: Precisely. We see that geometry balanced with the organic undulations of what appear to be stylized plant forms, contained within circular medallions. Consider the relationships between these shapes. Are they purely decorative or allusive? Editor: I believe the intertwined motifs within the central medallion speak of interconnection and cyclicality. The “S” shape recurs—snakes? Seeds? And notice the tiny crosses sprinkled throughout. Faith and transformation, perhaps? It feels like a confluence of pre-Christian and Christian symbolism. Curator: It raises interesting questions. Was this pattern intended as a literal design for a doorway? Or is it an academic exercise, a formal investigation into pattern and historical styles? Editor: Either way, its cultural roots are undeniable. I can see influences from both Roman mosaics and insular art. It is compelling to think of Ellen Duncan as this inter-cultural bridge using symbols from past traditions. Curator: And it achieves a very subtle balance between surface ornamentation and depth. This artwork prompts one to think about what thresholds – literally and figuratively – meant in the past and now. Editor: For me, Duncan's creation brings forth the weight of symbolic history embedded even in something as ostensibly commonplace as a doorstep design. It is amazing what art can convey.