ABSTRACT
J. D. Fergusson first began to visit Paris in the 1890s, probably during 1896 though he was generally careless with dates. Fergusson's nationalism, however, remained primarily 'cultural' in that he believed it necessary to resurrect a free and independent art in Scotland in order for the country to have a meaningful future. This 'Scottish character' Fergusson associated with a love of freedom and a sense of independence, essential qualities which he refers to throughout the text. R. E. Muirhead might have expected a sympathetic response from Fergusson, for he had begun to express nationalist sympathies. In consequence Fergusson's nationalism was a contingent part of his art, but could never come to dominate or compromise the purer realm of the aesthetic. The touchstone for a new and significant Scottish art was, importantly for Fergusson, the Celtic tradition. Throughout the post-war period a new interest in the Celtic emerged amongst nationalists.
