International studio (35.1908)

The Recent Etchings of D. Y. Cameron


taint of artificiality. And over the classic scene the classic with the romantic is another distinctive
is thrown a veil of romance, and this blending of feature of Mr. Cameron’s art. Classicism pre-
dominates in The Meuse, as
romanticism in Evening on the
Findhorn. But what skill in
arrangement is shown even in
this last, where apparent chance
in the foreground carries round
the swirl of the main design !
The classicism is in the deco-
rative arrangement, the romance
in the magical suggestion of
colour, and thereby of the brood-
ing sorrow-laden mystery of the
setting sun. These two prints
alone are sufficient to convince
one how immature and inade-
quate is the statement that
“ Cameron’s real theme is archi-
tecture.” His real themes are
design and the just notation of
relative degrees of illumination.
It is by this keen observance of
relative values that distance and
atmosphere are here so cun-
ningly suggested—here and in
A Gateway of Bruges (p. 88),
through which we see the belfry
keeping its place at the end of
the long distance. And what a
temptation is this belfry, with its
wealth of detail for an artist to
disregard the truth and drag it
forward from its allotted place !
Although this Belgian set was
seen of the public only last
spring, it is necessary to point
out that it represents far more
than the preceding year’s work.
Mr. Cameron has never been
prolific either in etchings or
paintings, and the ten plates
which make up the set have
occupied the best part of his
etching time since the beginning
of the century. There has been
no haste in their production,
the series has been worked at
from time to time, till they may
be taken to stand for the mature
and best fruits of Mr. Cameron’s
last half-dozen etching years.
But if Mr. Cameron is not pro-
“the five sisters of york” by d. y. cameron lific, neither is he idle, and since