Style Imitating Art…
Welcome back for my interpretation of a beautiful piece of watercolor art! Salazar, Shelbee, and I are the curators. You can think of this series as fashion meets art museum! SIA challenges people to find inspiration in different art works, create looks based upon that art work, and share them with the curator for that piece. Shelbee chose this beautiful and haunting painting for us. I hope you enjoy this post, the information, and my interpretation.
How it works…
Every other Monday one of us selects an inspiration piece of art and posts the image on their blog. We then invite others to interpret that art work through their style. The following Monday, we share our outfits. The curator shares submissions the following Wednesday on her blog. Shelbee chose this week’s art work for this round of Style Imitating Art. If you’d like, you can read why she chose it here. Please send your photo to her by Tuesday, October 6th, 2026 by 10 pm EST. Style Imitating Art is an interesting way to inspire your outfits. You can see a few of my looks here, here, here, and here.
The artist…
Margaret Macdonald was born in Tipton, Staffordshire on November 5, 1864. Her father was an engineer and managed a coal mine. Margaret and her younger sister, Frances, attended the Orme Girls’ School in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire where their names are recorded in the school register. When she was 16, Margaret was visiting someone on census night. She was listed as a scholar. I don’t know why, but that strikes me as funny. It shouldn’t, really, because I imagine most women of that time and age would have been either married or employed in some “female occupation.” Margaret’s father retired in 1890, and the family moved to his native Glasgow.
The beginning…
Once the family was established in Glasgow, both Margaret and Frances enrolled in The Glasgow School of Art, probably in 1891. That, in itself, shows you just how remarkable Margaret was. The school had only just begun allowing females to attend the day school. The two young women attended courses in design. Frances was nine years younger than Margaret but would always be an important collaborator with her. In addition, the sisters were soon a part of a group of other young women who called themselves, “The Immortals!” Jude Burkhauser wrote in her 1990 book, Glasgow Girls, the title “may have been inspired by Celtic mysticism, but that it also might reference the kind of posterity usually reserved for male artists of the academic variety, which very few women got to enjoy. Their shared creative interest in Symbolist art and literature can most clearly be seen in their wonderful group effort, The Magazine.” Jessie Keppie, one of the young women, kept a photo album (c 1893) showing several photos of the friends “enjoying a sketching weekend at ‘The Roaring Camp’ in Dunure, the home of architect, John Keppie…” One of the photos shows an image of the women from behind “as we imagine them joined together in sororal affection.” The Glasgow Girls were Margaret, Frances, Jessie Newbery, Ann Macbeth, and Jessie M. King. They were “instrumental in the evolution of decorative and interior design, a design that became known as the ‘Glasgow Style.’”
The art studio…
In time, Margaret began collaborating with her sister, Frances. In 1896, they opened their studio at 128 Hope Street, Glasgow. There, they created “a wide array of work from watercolour (sic) illustrations to embroidery, to beaten metal objets d’art.” In addition, they worked in gesso panels, leaded glass, and repoussé metalwork. Repoussé occurs when a softer metal is hammered from the back to create a design in low relief. Low relief produces very shallow images like those used on coins. At times, the two worked together, and at other times, they worked solo. Among their collaborations was a set of four paintings with repoussé frames on the seasons. I think each produced two works for this collaboration, but I’m not 100% sure. The duo also illustrated William Morris’ Defence of Guenevere. This was “recently re-discovered in a special collections of the University at Buffalo.” The work they produced was inventive for the times and was heavily influenced by “Celtic imagery, literature, symbolism, and folklore.” Margaret was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour in 1898.
Experimentation…
Margaret experimented with art and “reinterpreted traditional themes, allegories, and symbols in inventive ways. For instance, immediately following the 1896 opening of her Glasgow studio with her sister, she transformed broad ideas such as ‘Time’ and ‘Summer’ into highly stylized human forms. Many of her works incorporate muted natural tones, elongated nude human forms, and a subtle interplay between geometric and natural motifs. Above all, her designs demonstrated a type of originality that distinguishes her from other artists of her time.” Margaret didn’t use sketchbooks, instead relying on her imagination. Significant sources of inspiration were the Bible, the Odyssey (check that out, my friends), poems by William Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and the works of Maurice Maeterlinck. Gleeson White, an English writer on art, said of the sisters, “With a delightfully innocent air these two sisters disclaim any attempt to acknowledge that Egyptian decoration has interested them specially. ‘We have no basis.’ Nor do they advance any theory.”
A change…
All of this would change when they were introduced to two other students at The Glasgow School of Art. Apparently, teachers at the school thought the four young people had a lot in common. In 1892, Francis (Fra) Newbery, the head of the School of Art, introduced the sisters to the young men. Margaret and Frances met Charles Rennie Mackintosh and James Herbert MacNair. By 1894, the quartet were called “The Four.” Their collaborations, graphic and interior design, became very well known. On June 14, 1899, Frances and MacNair married. Margaret and Mackintosh married a little over a year later on August 22, 1900. Frances and her husband had one son, Sylvan. Margaret and Mackintosh remained childless.
The marital collaboration…
From then on, Margaret collaborated only with her husband with a great deal of success. Mackintosh is recognized as Scotland’s most famous architect. Margaret rarely plays in the picture at all. Her husband, however, recognized both her talent and her inspiration, writing in a letter to her, “Remember, you are half if not three-quarters in all my architectural work…” as well as saying “Margaret has genius, I have only talent.” Somehow, that makes me like him so much more even though his wife was so often marginalized with many saying she worked in crafts rather than creating true art. The two were often commissioned to create tea rooms and other social rooms which were a thing back in the day. One of these was for Fritz Waerndorfer who was building a new villa outside Vienna in 1902. He was showcasing many local artists. He asked the Mackintoshes to design the music room. The walls of the room were decorated with Margaret’s art: the Opera of the Winds, the Opera of the Seas, and the Seven Princesses (see them here). This last piece of art, a wall-sized triptych, is considered Margaret’s masterpiece. In 1916, the villa was sold, and the panels disappeared. In 1990, they were discovered in Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts. They’d been stored in a hidden room in the basement. The three panels were in separate crates and had been put there during WWI for safekeeping. They are now on permanent display in the Museum.
Interiors…
The Mackintoshes created many more interiors, including 120 Mains Street (1900), the couple’s first home; the House for an Art Lover (1901), a competition entry; the ‘Rose Boudoir’ (1902, and exhibition setting; and the Room de Luxe at the Willow Tea Rooms, Glasgow (1903). Margaret’s role, though not necessarily recognized at the time, was more noticeable on the interior of Mackintosh’s buildings rather than on the exterior. She produced the decorative gesso panels for all of the interiors. I love this sentence: “Their roles as artist and designer blurred once they began to collaborate.” It just goes to prove that “behind every great man stands a great woman” was true in their case! The pair also exhibited at the 1900 Vienna Secession which was an art movement in Vienna similar to Art Nouveau. There, she was an influence on Gustav Klimt and Josef Hoffman. The couple exhibited again at the Viennese International Art Exhibit in 1909.
Finally…
Margaret’s role as an artist can be seen in her contribution to the avant-garde movements of her time. She didn’t just support her man; she also shaped “visual culture” in her own right. Margaret’s use of visual metaphors which explored the inner emotional world, spirituality, and womanhood were central to the symbolism and allegory she used in her art. Her abilities and influence weren’t hindered by the Scottish borders and moved across Europe. Klimt recognized “her as a peer in the development of modern decorative art.” Margaret was active from 1895 until 1924 and contributed to more than 40 European and American exhibitions. After 1909, her “artistic output increasingly diminished from 1909, and we only know of some 140 documented works overall.” When Charles’ health began to deteriorate, Margaret took care of him and made even fewer works after 1914. After 1921, she produced no other known works. Charles died in 1928. Margaret died on January 7, 1933.
The artwork…
Painted in 1911, The Mysterious Garden measures 17.8 x 18.8 in (45.10 x 47.70 cm). When framed, the piece measures 28.3 x 29.1 in (71.8 x 73.9 x 4.5 cm). It is watercolor and ink over pencil on vellum, laid on board. In 2011, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art acquired the piece. The art was purchased with Art Fund support for ￡230,000. That would be somewhere between $482,000 and $549,000 (adjusting for inflation) today! It is not currently on display, though I did see it could be seen by appointment. I’m guessing you’d need to be of some importance to request an appointment!
“In a kind of haunting, unfading persistence, eight faces hover along the upper frame of The Mysterious Garden. The assembly of these heads on a level axis produces an uncanny effect, likened perhaps to a council of judges peering down upon their subject of whose fate is yet to be determined. This effect is magnified all the more by the unsettling fixation of the faces’ eyes upon a close-eyed dreamer, with the exception of one which hovers atop the dreamer’s head. This anomalous head appears either to gaze into the imperceptible distance or at the very viewer themselves, evoking physical uncertainty and discomfort in mere ambiguous indiscernment. A similar case of ambiguous discomfort is characterized by the pallor of these faces, which may simultaneously allude to both haloed, inner tranquility as well as to bloodless infirmity, or even death. Symbolically, this row of faces may represent the rolling dreamscape which passes in the dreamer’s mind as various subconscious figures from, say, her childhood, workplace, or local market become roused in the mind’s nightly interpretative dance. Likewise to the row of eight faces, the pairings of birds and an all-seeing eye contain ambiguous meaning depending on the subconscious mind’s interpretation of them. However, considering the way in which the birds and eye seemingly dissolve into a further abstracted background, one can assume that their symbolic importance is less significant than that of the hovering faces, occupying themselves rather as part of a vanishing collection of props to support the main act of the dream sequence. Nevertheless, the pairings of birds may be interpreted as potent symbols of Nature; though their bodies are comparatively delicate against the overall body of the work, their saturated vivacity renders them as gentle reminders of Nature’s lowly, but fierce energy. The birds, too, may bear a more harrowing meaning: rather than embody optimistic visions of Nature, their stolid coupling, not unlike if they were to be invisibly tethered, may remind one of fatal impassivity. Their hopelessly open beaks may symbolize fragility in the physical realm, and thus fortify The Mysterious Garden as an authentic view of a dreamscape. The all-seeing eye can imply invasive or divine omniscience, or simply be the half-forgotten remnant of a former face. It is feasible that this eye is gazing at the viewer from their own familiar physical realm, hence its dissolved state in the slumbering world of the Garden; this would, effectually, raise a heightened state of anxiety in a viewer, while also creating a state of self-reflective meditation.”
For more in-depth information about the artwork as it was painted, please click here. I admit, until I read the above quote, I didn’t even notice the birds.
Sources…
My interpretation…
Y’all know I’m nothing if not completely transparent with you. I took these photos last week because I thought the outfit was cute. You may even recognize it from this past week’s Fashion Files. As I was looking at them, it occurred to me the look was pretty much perfect for this artwork right down to my white hair (yes, this white hair is a wig). This is a shirt dress from Banana Republic, and the stripes are more navy than they look in the photos. You may have noticed the two buttons on the left side. You can, somehow or other, attach the right side to the left with these alternate buttons, creating an asymmetrical look. I’ve achieved that look a couple of times, but it’s a little difficult to walk. And, I wonder if people would think you’d make a mistake. I should either remove those buttons or cover them with a brooch since those are so hot right now!
The Lewk!
I decided to go in a completely different way with my accessories. I thought the sage green of my sandals and the soft aqua of my jewelry complemented the dress pretty well. I kept looking at the inspiration piece, but alas and alack! There doesn’t appear to be any green of any shade, tint, tone, or hue! Oh, well! One might say I love Miz Mooz shoes. And, one would be right! These are my Miz Mooz Shay sandals in sage. I have to tell you they are so comfortable. Some may think they’re a bit on the ugly side, but I love them, all the straps and the molded footbed. I just wish they’d offer them in a cognac color. I’d add them to my collection. This set of jewelry is from the Yellow Rose collection at Kendra Scott. I think I started with the necklace, then added the cuff, and finally the earrings last year. Boy howdy, have those prices gone up! I used my birthday discount to buy them. Here’s a hint if you like Kendra Scott…you can use your significant other’s birthday as well as your kids’ birthdays, too! You just have to prove they are having a birthday during that month! Half off is pretty significant, right?
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I find it sad this woman who was “reputed to be one of the most talented artists of early 20th Century Britain” was so often overlooked due to the brilliance of her husband. We can blame that on past “patriarchal critical treatment,” but would she be recognized for her brilliance today? In 2008, her 1902 The White Rose and the Red Rose, “a painted gesso over hessian with glass bead artwork was auctioned for the equivalent to £2,653,098 in 2023.” Pretty impressive, right? Margaret’s portfolio of work ranged from watercolors to metalwork, from textiles to gesso panels, and I’m so glad she finally received the credit she so rightly deserves. So, can we talk? What do you see as you look at this piece of art? How do you think it was initially received? Would you hang it in your home? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
Don’t forget…
If you want to be included in the Style Imitating Art round up, send Shelbee your photo by 10:00 pm EST, October 6th, 2026. Photos of everyone participating will appear on her blog on Wednesday, October 7th! If you’re interested in joining us, consider all of your options…the colors, the textures, the feelings they evoke! Come on, give it a try! I think you’ll love it!
Thank you!
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Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Is This Mutton, and Shelbee on the Edge. I also link up with I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, and Style Splash as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month as well as the Global Writing Challenge on the second Thursday. I now co-host Fashion Files with Amy at Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa every Tuesday. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, Cat, and Rena. I also host 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Oh, I would totally hang that in my home if my home lived up to it!
“many saying she worked in crafts rather than creating true art” – I think that’s an opinion that sadly still hasn’t disappeared. It was also a problem female Bauhaus artists had.
Marsha I love how you put this look together! The stripes look so cool and artsy, and it totally fits the artist art. Such a fun and pretty color outfit! xoxo
That’s a pretty good wig Marsha! And the outfit suits you very well. .
Thank you Marsha for the background behind the art and the artist. Very interesting. While the art itself is not for me I did enjoy your interpretation.
Thanks for this informative post Marsha, this sort of thing happened a lot to women back in the day they were totally overshadowed by their husbands despite having real talent. Love the shirt dress!