Although widely celebrated for her wood engravings, Agnes Miller Parker was also an accomplished painter whose work reflects the disciplined design principles of the Glasgow School of Art.
Her early paintings, shaped by the Glasgow Style’s emphasis on clarity, line and compositional balance, reveal a modern sensibility paired with a quiet observational depth. Throughout the 1920s and 30s she exhibited still lifes, landscapes and figure subjects that show a controlled, reflective approach to form and surface, often exploring subtle shifts in light and structure.
Parker married fellow Scottish artist William McCance in 1918, and together they formed part of a progressive artistic circle in London during the interwar years. Through McCance’s connections and their joint work with the Gregynog Press, Parker came into contact with key figures in British modernism and the private-press movement, including Claude Flight and members of the Grosvenor School, as well as the wider community of artists, typographers and designers working in avant-garde print and book production. These networks reinforced her interest in precision, rhythm and reduction of form.
Even as her reputation grew for illustration, Parker continued to paint throughout her life. Her canvases provide an essential counterpart to her engravings: considered, economical and rooted in an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and design.
