James McBey: Etchings and Watercolours
"He began at dawn; he spent hours at the end of the Rialto or at a table under the shady colonnade of the Chioggia Cafe in the Piazzetta making pen and ink notes of figures; or in a gondola on the canals or the Giudecca, making studies of shipping, of buildings and their reflections; at night he would be out again in his gondola, working on a copper plate by the light of three tallow candles in an old tin! Never has anyone been less dependent on the orthodox paraphernalia of this craft. Never was an artist more indefatigable. I have known in a day's bag an oil sketch, a brace of watercolours, several pen studies and an etching..."
These are the words of Martin Hardies of the art dealers Reid & Lefevre, describing James McBey’s extraordinary working process (The Print Collector's Quarterly, October 1925), as he prepared for his first solo show with The Fine Art Society in 1925. McBey was walking in the footsteps of one of his greatest influences, James McNeill Whistler, for it was Whistler's book, The Gentle Art of Making Enemies, that had convinced him as a young artist to put down the paint brush and to pick up the etching plate. And so he had travelled to Venice in 1924, accompanied by his lifelong friend Duncan M. Macdonald, (a partner in Reid and Lefevre), where they took a flat in the Palazzo de Bresson overlooking the Grand Canal. It was the same year that McBey painted our portrait of Macdonald (likely executed as a gift for Macdonald’s wife).
McBey’s etchings of Venice show the clear influence of Whistler. 'A Tartane Leaving Venice, 1925' possesses the same economy of line and deft handling of shading to effect the play of light in the image, that Whistler had employed in his Venetian etchings 50 years before. His work also shows the influence of Rembrandt, and it was on account of the Flemish genius that the young McBey first sailed to Europe, to seek out his works and learn from them. It was this hunger to learn, and a sense of adventure, which drew McBey to travel throughout his life and, whilst his portraits and commissions brought him notoriety and success, it was the etchings and watercolours from his travels that would form his greatest legacy. This exhibition focuses on these exquisite etchings and watercolours, spanning the artist's long career and travels across the globe, from Scotland, to Venice and New York.
[left] Portrait of Duncan M MacDonald, 1924. MacDonald, a lifelong friend of McBeys, travelled with the artist to Venice in 1924.
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James McBeyJohnshaven, 1929signed and inscribed 'Johnshaven, to Martin Hardie, 25 July 1929'watercolour, pen and ink9 1/2 x 15 inches
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James McBeyMalcolm Salaman (No.2), 1915signed and dated 1915 in plate; signed in pen to marginetching8 3/8 x 11 3/4 inches
Sheet: 9 5/8 x 14 5/8 inchesfrom the published edition of 10 proofs -
James McBeyNight in Ely Cathedral, 1915signed, inscribed 'Ely Sept 1915' in plate; signed and numbered XVII in pen to margin; inscribed Night in Ely Cathedral in pencil to sheetetching11 3/8 x 7 7/8 inches
Sheet: 14 x 10 1/8 inchesfrom the published edition of 76 proofs -
James McBeyBoulogne, 1916signed, inscribed 'Boulogne' and dated 1916 in plate; signed and numbered X in pen to marginetching7 7/8 x 11 3/8 inches
Sheet: 9 1/4 x 12 3/4 inchesfrom the published edition of 76 proofs -
James McBeyBroadstairs, 1919signed and inscribed 'Broadstairs September 1919'watercolour, pen and ink8 1/4 x 13 inches
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James McBeyPennan, 1920signed and inscribed 'Pennan, 6 September 1920'watercolour, pen and ink12 x 8 1/2 inches
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James McBeyFishing at Felixstowe, Suffolk, 1922signed and inscribed 'Felixstowe 10 September 1922'watercolour, pen and ink9 1/2 x 14 1/2 inches
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James McBeyThe Critic, 1923signed and dated '12th February 1923'watercolour, pen and ink11 3/4 x 7 1/4 inches
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James McBeyGale at Port Errol, 1923signed and numbered 'Trial IV' in pen to margin; inscribed 'M.H. 215. Gale at Port Errol', 'Trial IV = III' and signed Martin Hardie in pencil to sheetetching13 x 8 3/4 inches
Sheet: 15 3/8 x 10 3/4 inches4th trial proof (of 8) preceding published edition of 76 proofs -
James McBeyPortrait of Duncan M Macdonald, 1924signed and inscribed 'to Mrs. Macdonald from James McBey 1924oil on canvas25 x 19 1/2 inches
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James McBeyArtist and Model (self-portrait), 1925signed in pen to margin; inscribed 'Specimen proof for publ ed. MH 223' and signed Martin Hardie in pencil to sheetetching8 3/4 x 5 7/8 inches
Sheet: 15 1/4 x 9 1/4 inchestrial proof (of 9) preceding the published edition of 510 proofs -
James McBeyThe Bridge by Night, 1926signed, inscribed 'Venice' and dated October 1925 in plate; signed and numbered II in pen to margin; inscribed 'H. 232' in pencil to sheetetching9 1/4 x 5 7/8 inches
Sheet: 11 1/4 x 7 1/4 inchesfrom the published edition of 80 proofs -
James McBeyA Tartane Leaving Venice, 1928VII, signed and inscribed 'Venice 12 October 1925' in plate; signed in pen; signed and titled by Martin Hardie in pencil to sheetetching6 3/8 x 12 1/4 inches
Sheet: 9 3/8 x 14 5/8 inchesfrom the published edition of 80 proofs -
James McBeyMacduff, 1922signed and inscribed 'Trial Proof V' in pen to margin; inscribed 'Trial [IV striked through] V thin forcing ink, hard rag, [__] from crowd down', inscribed 'Written by McBey' and 'MacDuff 210' by Martin Hardie in pencil to sheetetching11 3/4 x 7 3/8 inches
Sheet: 14 3/8 x 9 1/8 inches5th trial proof (of 8) preceding the published edition of 76 proofs -
James McBeyThe Ebb Tidesigned and inscribed 'Trial IV' in pen to margin; signed twice by Martin Hardie in pencil to sheetetching8 3/8 x 13 3/4 inches
sheet: 10 1/4 x 14 3/8 inches4th trial proof (of 12) preceding published edition of 76 proofs -
James McBeyEast River, Sunset, 1934signed, inscribed 'New York' and dated March 1930 in plate; signed and numbered LXIV in pen to margin; inscribed '80 proofs East River, Sunset' in pencil to sheetetching8 1/8 x 13 7/8 inches
Sheet: 11 1/8 x 17 1/4 inchesfrom the published edition of 80 proofs -
James McBeyNew York Harbour, 1941signed, inscribed 'New York' and dated 1941 in plate; signed and numbered VII in pen to margin; inscribed '279. New York Harbour MH' and signed by Martin Hardie in pencil to sheetetching10 1/8 x 14 3/4 inches
Sheet: 13 1/8 x 17 1/2 inchesfrom the published edition of 65 proofs