Les Eus, 1910-11 (oil on canvas)

One of Fergusson’s most ambitious canvases, this painting belongs to a significant group of large-scale nudes painted in Paris between 1910 and 1913, and is one of the most important Scottish paintings of the period. Showing six sculptural nudes dancing against a stylised background, it is reminiscent of the medieval tapestries in the Musée de Cluny, Paris. One of many contemporary paintings exploring the theme of dance, it was inspired by the general enthusiasm in Paris for the first performances of the ballet Russe in 1909 and 1910.The title ‘Les Eus’ has given rise to many interpretations. Some thought that the ‘E’ was originally an N, thus translating as "The Nudes". Margaret Morris, Fergusson’s life-long partner thought that he meant "The Healthy Ones". Others have suggested that Les Eus stands for "The Well people", a word derived from "Eurythmics", a term itself coined by Emil-Jacques Delacroze in 1911 for his new science of dance. "Eus" could also read as "Others", with an ‘S’ instead of an ‘X’, and be interpreted as those wholesome healthy others, as opposed to us mere mortals. Regardless of the meaning of its title, the painting has a strong visual message: Fergusson’s sculptural nudes pay homage to the solidity of the human body, a work of art in itself for Fergusson. Some may even want to read a statement on the equality of genders; like the male figures, the female forms are strong and healthy, at a time when femininity was still associated with pallor and languid grace.