View from the Gate, Tetuan 1912

James McBey made this etching, View from the Gate, Tetuan, sometime in the early twentieth century. The sepia tonality and arch shape create a sense of stepping back into history. The city gate and view beyond are described by these quick, sure marks. Check out how the dark vertical lines on the left, pulled down close together, get lighter and more broken up on the right. It’s like McBey found a way to draw tone, air, and light all at once. The little figures in the foreground are barely described; just a quick scribble and you know they’re people. For me, this evokes work by Whistler, who also knew how to say so much with so little. This piece reminds me that art is really just an ongoing conversation. It’s not about saying the last word, but finding new ways to keep talking.