'Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal - Volume II'

This image is an engraving by Charles Warren, after a drawing by Edward Burney, in a 1797 Glasgow edition 'Poems of Ossian, son of Fingal'. The Ossianic poems were originally published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in 1762, narrated (and supposedly originally written) by the titular Ossian.

This scene from the poem ‘The War of Inis-thona’ shows Malvina, the daughter-in-law of Ossian, playing harp to him. Malvina was also a bard and Ossian taught her his poems. Oscar, Ossian’s son and Malvina's beloved, returns from Inis-thona after battle. Fingal, Oscar's grandfather, organises a feast and Ossian, overjoyed to see his son once more, falls asleep satisfied by the sound of Malvina’s harp.

[Shelfmark Oss.43]