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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.
This etching is based on a 14th century cast brass aquamanile, probably made in Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany, said to have come from Hereford Cathedral. An identical one to Cameron's is also in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. An aquamanile is a type of decorative jug used in medieval times for pouring water over the hands of priests before celebrating Mass, and of high class diners at table. The combination of heavy crosshatching and limited use of highlights by Cameron helps to capture the brass qualities of the original object. This print represents a charming and intriguing deviation from his more usual depictions of architecture and landscape.
Sources:
Aquamanile in the form of a mounted knight, Metropolitan Museum of Art https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/468633
Arthur M. Hind, The Etchings of D.Y. Cameron (London; Halton and Truscott Smith, 1924), pl. 81, p. 26.
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