The Desert of Sinai, No.2 1917 - 1919

James McBey made this drypoint etching, entitled 'The Desert of Sinai, No.2', at an unknown date. You can see the whole image comes from a process, from the bite of the drypoint needle digging into the plate, to the wiping of the ink, all the way to the final printing. What grabs me about this piece is the physicality of the etching. The marks are so raw and immediate, like quick sketches from life. Look at the way the artist describes the contours of the dunes and the figures, with just a few strokes. It's all about suggestion, leaving so much to the imagination. And the stark contrast between the light and shadow really emphasizes the harshness of the desert landscape. It's interesting to me that McBey was working around the same time as Matisse. You can see they are working with such different sensibilities, yet both were interested in working with a line to suggest shape and form. Art is a funny thing, there is no single way to do it, it's a conversation between artists that is always evolving.