Tillietudlem 1889

David Young Cameron produced this etching, titled 'Tillietudlem', at some point during his career. The image depicts a view of the ruins of the stronghold of the Covenanters, as immortalised in Sir Walter Scott's novel, 'Old Mortality'. Cameron was a key figure in the Etching Revival, a late nineteenth and early twentieth century movement. The movement saw artists turn to the etched line, in order to express their social, cultural and political views. It's worth noting that such art movements were largely organised through institutions such as The Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, and the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Cameron's artistic choices, from subject matter to medium, reflect a self-conscious engagement with the romanticisation of Scottish history and landscape. Investigating the relationship between Scottish national identity, literary romanticism, and the art market would greatly enrich our understanding of this work.