Health and vigour
Object number: ROMGH.2009.32.1
Type: Greetings card
Technique: Commercially printed
Material: Card
Width: 9.1cm | Height: 13.7cm
Production date: 1946 - 1968
After the 2nd World War George Bain collaborated with William MacLean Publishers Ltd of Glasgow. They printed his booklets on Celtic design, and then amalgamated them into Methods of Construction. They produced various greetings cards designed by Bain. MacLellan’s also commissioned illustrations from him for various magazines and other books that they produced.
The very richly coloured, bold image has a small circlular motif at its centre. Three strand spirals, known as triskeles, flow around it and the other circles of the design. Two of the arms of each strand in a spiral end in trumpet openings. The third splits to form a knotted closure. Around the central design is an outer ring of angular key pattern. It is very similar to that found in the Book of Durrow.
It isn’t just the greeting that is in Scottish Gaelic and English. Bain has signed it, as he often did, in both languages.
Author: Barbara Pritchard
Have you been inspired?
Have you taken inspiration from this artwork for your own practice? If so, you can submit your own work here.
Upload your artwork here