Balquhidder

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.

Balquhidder is a small village in the Stirling area of Scotland, overlooked by the dramatic mountain terrain of the Braes of Balquhidder, at the head of Loch Voil. Like many of Cameron’s other works, the mountains that recede into an open and empty sky, with a vast plain stretching through the foreground. The contrast of the darker section of mountain cuts though the centre of the print. The magnitude of the surrounding mountains is highlighted by the contrast in sizes of the barely visible cottages of Balquhidder and trees nestled into the side of the mountain range. Cameron also made several watercolours of this location. 

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

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

Dr Mark Stocker   Curator, Historical International Art   December 2017