John Duncan Fergusson RBA (British, 1874-1961) Portrait of Miss Anna MacDonald (painted c. 1904)John Duncan Fergusson RBA (British, 1874-1961)Portrait of Miss Anna MacDonald signed and inscribed 'J. D. Fergusson/Miss MacDonald no 70' (on the reverse)oil on canvas72 x 54cm (28 3/8 x 21 1/4in).painted c. 1904ProvenanceThe artist (an old label on the reverse gives Fergusson's address from 1939 until his death in 1961, so it is assumed that the work was in his possession).The Fine Art Society Ltd., London and Edinburgh, October 1974, no. 6442/22.Private collection, UK (acquired from the above); thence by descent to the present owner.ExhibitedPossibly Paris, Salon d'Automne, 1907, no. 595 (titled 'The Green Feather').London, The Fine Art Society, and Glasgow and Edinburgh, Centenary Exhibition, 1974.The present portrait sees Fergusson on the cusp of a new stage in his career. He is still exploring the possibilities of a more formal, elegant style of portraiture synonymous with Edwardian Britain, with the sitter's wonderful hat and the flashes of her white, gold, and green outfit. There is a precedent to the pose and colouring which highlight his enduring interest in the work of both Velazquez and Frans Hals. However, at this time in the studio, Fergusson is experimenting with some new techniques picked up from his first trips to the continent. Manet was Fergusson's idol here, and the many studies and paintings he made throughout this period show his adoption of Manet's style – in terms of colouring, but also fluidity of paint and brushstrokes. This is clear here when one takes a closer look at the sitter's face, hat, and breast, all of which have been captured with fast, curving strokes, the brush often heavily loaded with paint. Released not long after this painting would have been completed, in his 1905 manifesto which introduced his exhibition catalogue for the Baillie Gallery, Fergusson stated that the artist is 'trying for truth, for reality; through light.' This is a sentiment which is present throughout his long career, however here, with the strong juxtaposition between light and dark and only subtle tonal gradations in places, this core to his manifesto is perhaps most clearly evident.