Benicarlo 1911

Curator: Here we have James McBey's etching, "Benicarlo," created in 1911. Editor: My first thought is about the paper itself, how tactile it must be with that shallow bite from the etched lines. It feels ephemeral, doesn't it? Curator: Ephemeral perhaps due to its subtle and subdued composition; though I'd argue it captures a sense of place. Benicarlo, a coastal town in Spain. Notice the subtle visual cues: the architecture and those figures clustered near the harbourfront? Editor: The architectural style indicates this area. It really communicates what the building materials are. Stone and whitewash, likely local. I wonder what McBey used as an acid resist in his process here. It looks so delicate. The fine lines suggest he may have used a very hard ground for etching. Curator: There's a strong horizontal emphasis. Is it a barrier that physically separates foreground figures from the backdrop of the coastline? Are they disconnected? Or perhaps, integrated in the town square? The artist does capture figures lost in private, insular worlds, each bounded and contained by clothing as well as the built environment. Editor: Perhaps a more direct integration, they share the same material foundation. All constructed within and from similar economic constraints. Etching lends itself beautifully to depicting architectural texture – the rough, porous quality of the walls comes through in those varied line weights. The materials speak of the hard labour of constructing buildings that we only see the beauty in. Curator: True, and that adds depth to its symbolic reading. Perhaps it underscores how places of leisure depend on this labour. The scene almost recalls old memories, though rendered with the immediacy etching permits. Editor: Agreed. These processes leave an enduring impression—even on the most fleeting sketches, in our minds long after we’ve departed this artwork today. Curator: Yes, a poignant reminder that art can be found not only in grand statements, but in quiet moments and the enduring imprints they leave behind.