A Life Amongst Stillness: The World of William Gowe Ferguson William Gouw (or Gow, or Gowe) Ferguson remains a somewhat enigmatic figure in the landscape of 17th-century art, yet his quiet mastery of still life painting secured him a respected place amongst his contemporaries. Born around 1632/3 in Scotland—a nation not particularly renowned for its artistic output at that time—Ferguson’s journey took him far from his homeland and into the heart of European artistic innovation. His early training is believed to have occurred within Scotland itself, but an ambition for greater refinement led…