Notre Dame, Dinant

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.

For the sake of economy, artists during the Etching Revival often published prints in sets. This print is the eighth of ten etchings from Cameron's 'Belgian Set', made after the artist's visit to the country in 1905. It was published in 1907, and was the last series of etchings that he produced. The set is of a consistently high quality, and this print ranks amongst his finest church interiors. The effects of light and shade are skilfully staged, drawing the eye up the aisle and towards a dramatically lit Crucifixion surrounded in shadow, and creating a highly spiritual atmosphere.  Cameron had a deep and lifelong religious faith (he was the son of a minister), and his interest in themes like this reflected his belief that beauty, decoration and holy mystery were essential elements in the practice of worship.

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/30985/notre-dame-dinant-1907

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

Dr Mark Stocker   Curator, Historical International Art   December 2017