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Overview
D.Y. Cameron was a successful painter and a very influential etcher. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art before joining life classes at the Royal Scottish Academy. His work was acclaimed in Edinburgh, London, Berlin and Munich. During the First World War, Cameron was appointed official war artist to the Canadian government and in 1933 was made the King's Painter in Scotland. Cameron was highly sought after by collectors until the Great Crash of 1929 brought a collapse in prices for prints in general. Despite his excellence as a printmaker, his work still remains underrated both in art historical and market terms.
Strong tonal contrasts characterise his prints and his stark and dramatic paintings, which are mainly landscapes and cityscapes. His prints often feature areas of great darkness, offset by highlights. Cameron’s etchings are notable for their use of drypoint, a skill that he had mastered over his years of production. This is particularly evident in his studies of church interiors and Scottish landscapes.
The Baths of Caracalla were the second largest complex of baths in ancient Rome, and were built in the 3rd Century AD by Marcus Aurelius Antonius, better known as Caracalla. The Baths or Thermae were an important part of Roman social life and this building must have been staggering in both its size and opulence. This view of the Thermae appears to be not as far into the Baths complex as Cameron’s other work on the subject, Thermae of Caracalla (1923) also in Te Papa’s collection (1962-0001-7). . Cameron pays attention to the monumental size of the ruins, contrasting the building remains against a couple of visitors in an archway; engulfed in the shadow of the Thermae.
Te Papa has two copies of Tepidarium: Thermae of Caracalla, both donated by Sir John Ilott. This is the second copy, whose condition is superior to that of the first (1956-0001-6).
Sources:
Arthur M. Hind, The Etchings of D.Y. Cameron (London; Halton and Truscott Smith, 1924)
National Galleries Scotland, https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/artists/sir-david-young-cameron
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/31003/baths-caracalla-1923
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Young_Cameron
Dr Mark Stocker Curator, Historical International Art December 2017