A Norfolk Village 1915

This is ‘A Norfolk Village’ by James McBey, we don’t know exactly when he made it, but it is done with drypoint on paper. There’s something so delicate and ephemeral about this print, isn’t there? It feels like McBey barely touched the plate, just enough to leave a trace of this quiet little village. I can imagine him out there, maybe on a slightly overcast day, quickly sketching, trying to capture the scene before the light changes. You know, just the slightest details, like the masts of the boats bobbing in the water, or the rooftops huddled together, it’s all so fleeting. There is a quietness to the scene that really strikes me. It reminds me of Whistler, but with a touch more grit. And you know, it makes you wonder, what was McBey thinking about as he made this? Was he just trying to capture the scene, or was he after something more, something about the feeling of being in that place? Anyway, it's just nice to see artists in conversation across time, all trying to figure out how to capture the world in their own way.