Artist and Model
1924
Medium
etching
Dimensions
sheet (irreg.): 30.2 × 22.7 cm (11 7/8 × 8 15/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mrs. James McBey
Accession Number
1963.14.2
Art Historical Context
James McBey's *Artist and Model* (4) is a captivating etching that captures an intimate studio scene, showcasing the artist's masterful command of the printmaking medium. Born in Scotland in 1883, McBey rose to prominence as one of 20th century's finest etchers, influenced by masters like Rembrandt and Whistler This work, measuring 30.2 × 22.7 cm on an irregularly trimmed sheet, reflects his peak period of creativity in the interwar years, when he traveled extensively and honed his technique in Europe and beyond. Etching, McBey's preferred medium, involves drawing lines into a wax-coated meta...
About the Artist
James McBey
James McBey (1883–1959) was a Scottish artist renowned for his etchings and paintings, emerging from humble beginnings in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, as the illegitimate son of a blacksmith's daughter. Largely self-taught, he left school at fifteen to work as a bank clerk in Aberdeen, where he devoured art books from the public library and attended evening classes at Gray's School of Art to hone his ...