Thermae of Caracalla 1923

David Young Cameron made this etching, Thermae of Caracalla, using a painstaking, additive process. The hatching feels almost architectural, a fitting technique for a crumbling ruin. The print is executed in a limited palette of browns and grays, which gives the image a feeling of antiquity and decay. Look at the towers on either side of the building. Each mark feels deliberate and precise, built up to create depth and texture. The foreground is more loosely rendered, suggesting a sense of desolation. The contrast between light and dark heightens the drama. It makes me think of Piranesi's etchings of Rome. Both artists use the medium to explore the grandeur and decay of ancient structures. But where Piranesi is theatrical, Cameron is more restrained, focusing on the quiet beauty of the ruins. I love that both artists embrace the ambiguity of the past, inviting us to imagine its stories.