Three Studies for the Decoration of the first Mortuary Chapel, the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh

Traquair employed oil paint with restrained tonality, favoring soft blues, whites, and muted earth tones to create a contemplative atmosphere. The figures are rendered with delicate lines and flattened forms, echoing medieval and early Renaissance models. Each scene is enclosed in a black frame adorned with fine gold detailing, reinforcing the object-like quality of the studies and their function as preparatory artifacts within a larger decorative program.

Commissioned for the first mortuary chapel at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, these studies were part of Traquair’s broader engagement with ecclesiastical decoration in the 1890s. Though the final mural scheme may not have been fully realized as envisioned, the studies remained in private or institutional hands, later recognized as significant examples of her transitional work between illustration and large-scale muralism.

Traquair worked within the Scottish Arts and Crafts movement, where handcraft and spiritual symbolism were valued over industrial mass production. Her involvement in chapel decoration aligned with broader efforts to infuse public and religious spaces with meaningful, artisanal art. This commission reflected a growing interest in creating emotionally resonant environments for mourning families, particularly in institutions serving children.

Though not widely exhibited during her lifetime, these studies contribute to Traquair’s reputation as a pivotal figure in late 19th-century British decorative arts. Her integration of religious symbolism with intimate, handcrafted aesthetics influenced later generations of artists working in ecclesiastical contexts. Recognition by the Royal Scottish Academy in 1920 affirmed her role in expanding the scope of women’s contributions to public art.