James McBey

McBey’s cathedral interior at night is full of foreboding. While the single light source valiantly pushes back against impending darkness, it fails to illuminate the foreground where we, as viewers, enter the scene. In its dramatization of the effects of light and shadow, this depiction is clearly indebted to Rembrandt, but it offers
more than imitation. Unlike many of Rembrandt’s prints, which often use drypoint, McBey’s image relies entirely upon the etched line, making this work a startling demonstration of what can be accomplished using this single technique.