Bothwell 1889

David Young Cameron made this etching of Bothwell. It shows a view of the castle across the River Clyde. Here, Cameron is at the height of his powers, establishing a reputation for landscapes and architectural studies in the late 19th and early 20th century. His skill was in the tonal contrasts he achieved through a careful biting of the plate and a selective wiping of ink. His etchings offered an escape to an idealized and picturesque world, with Bothwell castle as a popular subject. This was a period when printmaking was becoming increasingly popular, in part due to the rise of the art market. Cameron's work helped to elevate printmaking to the status of fine art, shown and sold in galleries. To understand Cameron's work better, we can use auction records to understand his market, or archival records to study the institutions he worked with. In this way, we can see that Cameron's work helped to define the role of art in his time.