Craigievar 1908

David Young Cameron made this etching, Craigievar, with incredible detail, almost like he was building the castle and the surrounding landscape out of tiny, delicate scratches. Look closely, and you'll see how he uses different densities of lines to create light and shadow, suggesting texture and depth. The way the light seems to catch on the castle walls, for instance, is so evocative. It reminds me of how we build up paintings, layer by layer, each mark informing the next. I'm drawn to the foreground, to the little dashes of ink, almost like shorthand for the grassy field. Cameron's work has echoes of Whistler, particularly in its atmospheric quality and its emphasis on tonal values. But there's also a unique sensibility at play here, a quiet appreciation for the beauty of the Scottish landscape. It's not just about capturing a scene; it's about evoking a feeling, a mood. And, for me, that's what art is all about.