Robert Lee's Workshop 1905

In David Young Cameron's print of Robert Lee’s Workshop, notice all the linear marks made from etching. They show such incredible texture, as if the space is alive, vibrating with the energy of the workmen. I can imagine Cameron, the artist, watching the scene with curiosity. Maybe he was struck by the play of light and shadow within the workshop, how it contrasted with the brightness outside. See how the light streams in through the opening, defining the silhouette of the worker? Think about the physical process of etching the plate. Cameron would have been scratching into the metal, inking it, wiping it, and then pressing it onto paper. Each of those lines would be a deliberate mark, building up this scene of labor. He captures the everyday, finding beauty in the grit and graft of the workshop. Maybe that’s what he was thinking: how to show the dignity of work. This image feels like a conversation with other artists who depict working life, a testament to the enduring human spirit.