Martin Hardie, No.2 1916 - 1919

This portrait of Martin Hardie by James McBey is an etching, a dance of fine lines and delicate shading scraped into a metal plate. Imagine McBey hunched over, tool in hand, coaxing this image into being. What strikes me is how the artist captured Hardie’s gaze, that slight turn of the head, as if he is contemplating something beyond the frame. I wonder what was on his mind? There’s a real sense of presence, a kind of quiet observation. Look at the texture McBey achieved! See how the lines create depth and form. It’s a reminder that art isn't just about perfect representation but about feeling, about suggestion. Through these scratches, McBey and Hardie invite us into their world, their dialogue, their moment of shared looking. It's a conversation, a quiet exchange, like all art.