“The Kelpie” by Scottish painter Thomas Millie Dow is a painting from 1895. The kelpie comes from Scottish folklore, where it is known as a water spirit tied to rivers and lochs. It is most often described as a horse standing quietly near the water. In the stories, people are drawn to it because it appears harmless. Once touched or mounted, it cannot be escaped and pulls its victim into deep water. In other accounts, the kelpie appears in human form, luring people toward the water instead; once they follow, they are drowned or dragged beneath the surface.
The painting is listed as a standalone work, and its current location is unknown. It survives only as a photographic reproduction.
In the late nineteenth century, Scottish artists often turned to local myths. These were familiar stories tied to real places, already woven into everyday understanding. Painting them was a way of holding onto regional history and identity at a time when Scottish art was increasingly shaped by outside influence.
Thomas Millie Dow was born in 1848 in Edinburgh. He trained at the Trustees’ Academy before continuing his studies in Paris, where he was exposed to contemporary French painting. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Scottish Academy and was closely associated with the Glasgow Boys, though his work generally remained more restrained than that of many in the group. Dow focused on landscape, rural life, and subjects drawn from Scottish history and literature. He died in Edinburgh in 1919.
I was not able to find any books currently in print about Dow's work.
If you're interested in learning more about Scottish mythology, check out, "Into the Fairy Hill: Classic Folktales of the Scottish Highlands." https://amzn.to/4pcen2J
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