Old Houses on South-Side of Rottenrow (Glasgow) 1891

Curator: Here we have David Young Cameron’s etching, "Old Houses on South-Side of Rottenrow (Glasgow)," created in 1891. Editor: Crumbling. That’s the word that springs to mind. Beautifully, hauntingly crumbling. You can almost hear the whispers of time echoing from those stones. Curator: Absolutely. Cameron, closely associated with the Glasgow School, often depicted the urban landscape undergoing dramatic transformation. This particular area, Rottenrow, held significant historical weight, once being the location of Glasgow's maternity hospital. Cameron immortalizes it at a point where it's verging on obsolescence. Editor: The texture is incredible; I’m thinking the crosshatching really brings out the, shall we say, the gravitas of these old walls. Did he intend for it to feel this poignant, do you think? Curator: Cameron's technique, meticulous and precise, aimed to document reality. But the selection of subject matter speaks volumes. The slums were a hot topic. His work would have been received by people grappling with the effects of urbanization and industrialization. Editor: Slums? They look quite majestic in a decaying way, a grand old mess with an ethereal light and delicate use of lines that lend dignity and pathos to ordinary structures… Curator: Pathos definitely! This artwork does more than document structures. Cameron provides us with an entry point to contemplate the lives of people. Who walked these streets, what were their lives like? I find those barely visible figures just by the wall so touching, dwarfed as they are. Editor: The ephemeral nature of existence—it feels very human, doesn't it? To turn stone, and buildings, and bricks into our mortal mirrors! I can only imagine it took quite some time and care to etch each precise line, really feeling each mark. I guess the beauty can always exist where most think the beauty to be gone. Curator: Precisely. What seems lost or obsolete often holds potent social memories, offering insights into shifts in population, economy, and the very fabric of urban life. Editor: Well, it gives a voice to the voiceless through walls, so, I call it successful. And with a lump in my throat, I move on. Curator: Indeed. Onwards to explore other hidden narratives woven into the city's artistic legacy.