In Camera 1901

Muirhead Bone made this etching, called ‘In Camera’, at some point in his career, using a metal plate and acid. The way Bone uses line is really interesting; they're so economical, but they give you everything you need. It’s like he’s thinking through the image, letting the process guide him. You can see it in the way he builds up the shadows, especially at the bottom. Look at how the lines vary in thickness and direction. It’s almost like he’s sketching with the acid, finding the image as he goes. The figures are so lightly rendered but they still convey a sense of weight and presence. And then there's that dark, dense shadow. It's so heavy, it almost feels like another character in the scene. Bone’s work reminds me of Whistler. Both artists were interested in capturing a sense of atmosphere and mood, using a limited palette and a very direct approach to mark making. But with Bone there's always this underlying sense of the gritty reality of modern life. He sees beauty in the everyday, in the fleeting moments that most people overlook.