
Edited and Introduced by Nicolas BarkerThis book is an autobiographical account of the early years of James McBey, the self-taught boy from a humble north-east village who became one of Scotland's most successful and celebrated artists. Writing with charismatic frankness and realism, McBey describes his passionate desire to be an artist, from his first etchings (printed with the help of an old mangle) to the moment when he left a stultifying job to strike out for Holland to create a life of his own.McBey's journey was not an easy one. Poverty, ignorance, his family's indifference, the petty routines of an Aberdeen bank, his mother's suicide, all these are evoked with gravity, clarity and a lightness of touch – like the etchings themselves – which will long remain in the reader's mind.Introduced by Nicolas Barker, who edited the original manuscripts, this book offers a real-life portrait of the artist as a young man and establishes James McBey as a gifted prose stylist in his own right.
This autobiography investigates the formative years of James McBey, exploring how a self-taught artist from a humble background navigated poverty and social constraints to establish a professional career. James McBey, a celebrated Scottish artist, provides a firsthand account of his early life from 1883 to 1911. Edited by Nicolas Barker, the text utilizes original manuscripts to detail the author's transition from a bank clerk in Aberdeen to an aspiring etcher in Holland. The narrative serves as both a personal history and a study of the artistic temperament emerging from restrictive circumstances.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Critics and scholars recognize this work as a significant primary source for understanding the early 20th-century Scottish art scene. Readers frequently note the clarity and stylistic grace of McBey's prose, which elevates the text beyond a standard biographical record.
Page Count:
131
Publication Date:
1977-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192117386
ISBN-13:
9780192117380
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