A Talk about Recreating Margaret Macdonald's Gesso Panels with Dai Vaughan

In this talk, Dai Vaughan will discuss the research and recreation process undertaken by himself and his late wife Jenny, to reveal the unique gesso method that Margaret Macdonald developed.

Dai will present studies of the symbolic meanings integral to Margaret Macdonald's work, new discoveries about the inspirations behind the gesso panel she designed for our Salon de Luxe, and key differences between the recreated Salon de Luxe work and the original now on display at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum.

Dai and Jenny Vaughan moved to Glasgow in the late 1980s after winning a competition to design murals for Princes Square. Subsequently they designed festive lighting for George Square to celebrate Glasgow becoming European City of Culture. They are best known for their interest, involvement, and recreation of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald. They were commissioned to produce high quality recreations for both House for an Art Lover and The Mackintosh Tearooms.

Part of The Dug Out: Sunday Afternoon Talks for the Public in 2026 - Dig deeper into the inspirations and history surrounding the only remaining Mackintosh-designed tea room in the world with our series of talks for the public. All talks are led by an expert in their field and include a chance to ask questions in one of our historical tea rooms.

To enquire further please contact [email protected] or telephone 0141 204 1903.

For information on accessibility please visit https://www.nts.org.uk/accessibility/mackintosh-tearooms-accessibility-guide.

Guests with full price tickets are eligible to take advantage of a special 20% discount on food and drink. Discount available for a la carte and afternoon tea, excludes alcoholic drinks, tea rooms only, must be prebooked. Venue reserves the right to limit discount use at any given time. Valid only for the day of the talk. Quote DUGOUT26 when booking and present ticket at table to take advantage of this offer.

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