Yearly Tribute to the King of Tara

Of Irish descnt, McCarter often depicted scenes of a romantic Celtic past, and once spent nine months at Trinity College, in Dublin, studying Irish folklore and the ninth-century illuminated gospel the "Book of Kells." Between 1907 and 1918 he exhibited several works at the Academy depicting legendary Irish kings, the period from which this work likely dates. Possibly intended as an illustration for a book, "Yearly Tribute to the King of Tara" combines McCarter's elegant draftsmanship, his love of myth and mysticism, and his regard for the vibrant colors of European artists like Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse.