The Kings Quair VI

At Alice Boyd's request, William Bell Scott did a series of murals for the spiral staircase at Penkill Castle. This is a sketch for the first of the 7 paintings.   The subject of the series is the poem "The King's Quair" written by King James I in 1420 whilst in captivity at Windsor Castle. The poem tells the story of how the King, during his incarceration at Windsor, saw and fell in love with Lady Jane, whom he later married.   Each painting depicts a different scene from the story. Here Lady Jane releases a dove bearing a message of love. The three fates are shown over the window.