Dust, Beersheba 1920

James McBey made this etching, “Dust, Beersheba”, using delicate lines and a light palette. It gives the impression of a scene captured in the fleeting moments of a sandstorm. Imagine McBey, squinting in the desert light, trying to capture the movement of the dust kicked up by the horses. The lines are so fine, like whispers on the paper, creating a hazy atmosphere. I wonder if he struggled to keep the plate clean from the dust while he was working on it? Look at how the energy swirls around the horses, almost obscuring them, and how McBey used these short, quick lines to suggest movement and chaos. It reminds me a little bit of some of the futurist painters like Boccioni, who tried to capture speed and dynamism in their work. It’s a reminder that we are all in conversation with one another, riffing on each other’s ideas and techniques, trying to make sense of the world in our own way. And that’s the beauty of art: it’s an ongoing dialogue.