Beaufort's Tower, St. Cross 1902

Editor: Here we have David Young Cameron's 1902 etching, "Beaufort's Tower, St. Cross." The monochromatic print, dominated by the imposing tower, evokes a feeling of quiet grandeur and perhaps a hint of melancholy. What stands out to you when you look at this work? Curator: The immediate impact is indeed the tower itself. Cameron's skill in etching captures not only the architectural detail but the very weight of history embodied in those stones. The tower isn't just a structure; it's a symbolic gateway, a visual marker between eras. Notice how the play of light and shadow seems to almost animate the stonework. Do you get a sense of figures from the past passing through that archway? Editor: I hadn't considered it that way, but now that you mention it, yes! There's a blurry quality to the figures underneath the arch, a transient sensibility, and maybe a connection to the beyond. Curator: Exactly. The archway and its inhabitants are a deliberate choice on Cameron's part. He understood the symbolic power of architecture, how certain buildings accumulate cultural memories. The tower represents permanence but the shadowy figures suggest the continuous stream of humanity. And what does the lack of clear depiction mean to you? Editor: I would say it points to the ceaselessness of time, the ever-present, ephemeral nature of existence, moving in and out of history. Curator: Precisely. Cameron has layered symbolism onto a familiar architectural form. It’s an emotional portrait rendered not in flesh and blood, but in stone and shadow, prompting reflections on the transient yet enduring nature of life itself. Editor: That makes me see it in a completely different light, it adds another dimension. Thank you! Curator: It's a beautiful illustration of how an artist uses enduring visual symbols to echo historical narrative. The symbols make you contemplate about place, memory and identity.