Valley of the Ourthe, Ardennes

Cameron became one of the leading etchers of his generation. A native of Glasgow, he traveled all over Britain and the continent in search of subjects. In the opening years of the twentieth century, he made several trips to France and Belgium. In 1907, he published a suite of images known as the Belgian Set that included a view of "A Valley of the Ardennes". This watercolor was undoubtedly made on one of those visits. The valley of Ourthe is in Belgium, just north of Luxembourg. Although the area was to be one of the battlegrounds of World War I, Cameron's view emphasizes the picturesque quality of the valley. Utilizing the blank paper and bright color washes, the artist suggests a sun-drenched countryside. The work's immediacy and truthfulness to nature are reinforced by the branch of a bush in the left foreground that establishes Cameron's viewpoint.