The Ford 1913

This print, 'The Ford' by James McBey, is a world of drypoint lines, creating shape and form out of almost nothing. The scene flickers and hovers in front of us like a mirage. I like to imagine McBey making this, scratching away at the plate. Was he thinking of Rembrandt? I always think of Rembrandt... The pale sandy tones and the delicate lines—you can feel the dry, almost lunar landscape. Then there's the activity in the distance—it's like a frieze with figures and animals going about their business. There's a man in the foreground on the left, his face is turned towards us, drawing us in, anchoring the scene. The surface is so worked, it becomes an atmospheric poem. This feels so much about the earth and humanity’s presence in it, all communicated with a few simple marks. McBey reminds us that the simplest gestures can hold the most meaning.