The 1930s was the time of Gillies’ most incredible watercolours and this radical painting heralds that era. It is near symbolist; the warm hues bring forth the idea of the act of the creation of the rocks and mountains. In its simplified forms and the treatment of the sky it evokes the work of Edvard Munch. Munch’s works were first seen in Britain at the 1931 Scottish Society of Artists exhibition. Gillies was captivated by them, but this picture suggests that he was already aware of the Norwegian’s work before 1931.