The Lea, near Ware 1902

David Young Cameron created this etching, titled 'The Lea, near Ware.' Consider the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when ideas about national identity and belonging were increasingly fraught. In Cameron’s work, we see an impulse to capture the serene beauty of the British landscape, appealing to a sense of national pride and connection to the land. This landscape seems untouched, but the very act of selecting and framing this view speaks to Cameron’s perspective and priorities. How does the absence of people shape our understanding of this scene? Does it evoke a sense of peaceful solitude, or does it hint at a more complex history of land use and ownership? What unspoken stories lie beneath the surface of this calm, pastoral scene? Cameron offers us a glimpse into a world that is both beautiful and imbued with the weight of history.