This gorgeous framed print is a beautiful detail taken from The May Queen by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh.The May Queen was made in 1900. It was one of two complementary gesso friezes commissioned to decorate The Ladies Luncheon Room of The Ingram Street Tearooms in Glasgow. Its companion piece The Wassail was made by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the two works were hung opposite one another to make a seasonal dialogue; The May Queen a celebration of Springtime and The Wassail its winter counterpart. In a letter to his friend Hermann Muthesius Charles Rennie Mackintosh left a glimpse of their production “We are working them together and that makes the work very pleasant.”Ladies Luncheon Room reconstructed 1996.Exhibited in Baltimore 2020.The works were hung in the elegant white painted room at high level. Their intense colouring and detailing drew the eye and they were the key focal features. The May Queen is made from gesso, hessian, scrim, twine, glass beads, thread, tin leaf, oil paint, and steel pins. Its richly textured surface arrests the eye and bears the unmistakable imprint of its maker.In 1996 a major exhibition in Glasgow saw The Ladies Luncheon Room reconstructed using salvaged original features. The May Queen also featured in Glasgow’s 150th anniversary exhibition, “Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Making the Glasgow Style”. The show later travelled to Liverpool and to The United States at Baltimore, Nashville, Albuquerque and Saint Petersburg, Florida.Ready to display. Our print is presented in a stunning all white frame which adds to its jewel-like quality; it’ll look great in any setting. With a weighty, quality feel it can be stood on a shelf or desktop but also includes a hanging loop for wall displayMargaret Macdonald – a pioneering artist and businesswoman. Margaret Macdonald was born in Tipton, England in 1864. She studied at the Glasgow School of Art with her sister Frances where they met Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Herbert McNair. In the mid 1890s the Macdonald Sisters opened a studio in Hope Street, Glasgow working together for around 10 years. They produced metalwork, graphics, and book illustrations. She later collaborated with Mackintosh whom she married in 1900.Produced by Duille, Northampton, England. Adapted from an original 1900 work by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. The frame is suitable for table top use or for wall hanging and is sealed on the reverse with traditional framers tape to help prolong the life of your print.Made to last This work is made from high quality materials designed to last for many years. It is printed in archival quality pigment inks on Somerset Velvet 255gsm acid free paper and mounted in a sealed polymer crystal-glazed fibreboard frame. As with any work of art we recommend displaying your print away from direct sunlight to prevent fading.Generously sized Frame is 370 x 370mm x 60mm. Image size 240 x 240mm.All materials are recyclable and come from environmentally responsible sources.Ordering from outside the UK? The heavy frames of these prints unfortunately mean heavier air-shipping costs. Please contact us before ordering if you would like some less expensive options for your location; we’re most happy to give friendly, no-obligation advice.
