James McBey 1931

Gerald Leslie Brockhurst made this print of James McBey, but I'm not sure when exactly. Look at how light glances off McBey’s face, the whiteness of his shirt, the shadow of his head against the wall. There’s an intimacy to the mark making – like Brockhurst is right there, next to McBey, etching the moment. What was Brockhurst thinking when he made this? Maybe, ‘how can I capture McBey’s likeness, his being?’ Or perhaps, it was more like, ‘let me work with these fine lines, the contrasting darks and lights, and just see what happens.' The marks are so finely made that they almost disappear into the image. Look closely and you can see the textures— the jacket, the bow tie, the skin. It reminds me of Lucien Freud’s etchings; a similar interest in the human form. Artists are always looking at each other's work, taking notes, getting inspired. It's like a big, ongoing conversation across time. And you, dear viewer, you’re part of that conversation now.