Arno above Florence 3 - 1900

David Young Cameron created 'Arno above Florence' in 1930 using brown ink on paper. This tranquil waterside scene belies a period of political turmoil in Italy, and beyond. The image offers us a glimpse into the aesthetic preferences of the British upper classes during the interwar years. The printmaking revival at the turn of the century made such works accessible to a wider audience, fostering a taste for picturesque views and historical subjects. Cameron, a master of etching, here employs brown ink to create a sense of warmth and nostalgia, perhaps reflecting a yearning for a simpler past in the face of rapid modernization and growing political instability. As historians, we can look at how the art market operated at the time, who bought and sold these images, and how they were displayed, in order to better understand their cultural significance.