Mar's Work, Stirling. No. 2 1907

David Young Cameron made this etching, ‘Mar's Work, Stirling. No. 2’, without a known date, and you can find it here in the Art Institute of Chicago. What strikes me about this piece is how Cameron uses line not just to describe, but to create atmosphere. Look at the doorway; the darkness isn't just a shadow, it's a palpable presence, built up with these tiny, insistent marks. You can almost feel the cool air coming from within. The texture of the stone is beautifully rendered. It's rough and weathered, full of tiny imperfections. The building itself seems to breathe, to have a life of its own, thanks to Cameron’s sensitive touch. It's reminiscent of Piranesi, that master of architectural fantasy, but with a Scottish twist. Cameron isn’t just documenting a building; he's capturing its soul, its history, its secrets. In the end, it reminds us that art is about more than just what we see, it's about how we feel, and what we imagine.