A peacock and marguerites

Having studied at the Edinburgh School of Art, Alexander spent four years from 1892 to 1896 living in Egypt, in a houseboat on the Nile. The exotic intensity of colour in this watercolour, dated 1899, may reflect the influence of that time. He is best known for his depictions of birds, flowers and grasses in his native Scotland, and the use here of rough oatmeal paper is typical of his work.