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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.
Killundine Castle - also known in Gaelic as Caisteal nan Con (Castle of Dogs) - overlooks the Sound of Mull on the eastern coast of the Morvern Peninsula in the Scottish Highlands. It dates from the 17th century but stands within the remains of a prehistoric fort. The site is also traditionally associated with the Lords of the Isles but there is no evidence of medieval occupation. Like other landscape works Cameron made towards the end of his career as a printmaker - such as The Scmir of Eigg (1931), also in Te Papa’s collection (1971-0048-27), the landscape of Killundine exudes a fantastic sense of drama. The relationship between the sky and the landscape brings attention to the silhouetted castle ruins in the centre of the drypoint, which are stark against the setting sun.
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-cameronWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Young_Cameron
Dr Mark Stocker Curator, Historical International Art December 2017