Joannis Darius

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.

This etching of Palazzo Dario, in Venice, shows Cameron’s skill in rendering delicate architectural detail. Attention has been paid to the façade, particularly around the rose windows. Cameron has taken some artistic liberties with the rendering of the palace, elongating and straightening the structure. He has also added a balcony to the first storey, casting a shadow on the lower level. The shading in this shadow distinguishes the woman from the door frame, whilst also mirroring the darkness of the roof, giving symmetry to the etching. Its title, Joannis Darius, is a Latin rendering of Giovanni Dario, a highly-ranked official of the Venetian Republic, for whom Pietro Lombardo designed this sumptuous palace in 1487.

Sources:

Arthur M. Hind, The Etchings of D.Y. Cameron (London; Halton and Truscott Smith, 1924), pl. 46, pp. 17-18

National Galleries Scotland, https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/artists/sir-david-young-cameron

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Young_Cameron

Dr Mark Stocker   Curator, Historical International Art   December 2017