Sunset, Oxford 1930

Editor: So, this is James McBey’s “Sunset, Oxford,” made in 1930 using watercolor and drawing techniques. It strikes me as incredibly serene. The colours are muted, and the city feels distant, almost like a dream. What do you see in this piece that I might be missing? Curator: Dreamlike, yes, that's exactly it! For me, McBey captures not just a sunset, but a memory of one. He presents a recognizable Oxford, certainly. But softened through watercolor, that strict architecture turns impressionistic and ethereal, doesn’t it? Did you notice the strokes of the brush? Each of them contains so many subtleties that give rhythm to the entire image! The sky isn’t merely blue or orange, it’s alive with colour! Editor: It’s like he's painting a feeling rather than a place. It is quite different from what I expected; almost makes the viewer feel at peace with their thoughts. Curator: Exactly! What also intrigues me is McBey's own journey. He was something of a wanderer. From Scotland to the battlefields of World War One as an official artist, to later in life becoming settled in Tangier! So what do you think that a glimpse of Oxford might have meant for him? It could’ve simply been another vista, another sale for someone who depended on his art. Or something that moved him deeply and which he immortalized? Editor: Someone like that viewing a classic scene, almost feels like he immortalizes it more so with what he might be seeing that others may not. Curator: Absolutely! Each stroke captures his wandering essence and encapsulates such beauty through capturing the sunset and the city itself! Editor: Wow, I never thought of it that way. Thanks! Now I am beginning to consider this from his point of view. Curator: I find it a comforting idea that a passing sunset, translated through the hand of a restless soul, could hold such stillness.