Palace of the Stuarts, Stirling by Scottish artist David Young Cameron (1865-1945) presents another view of Stirling Castle, which is present in many of Cameron's works, and is a black and white pencil drawing capturing the architectural details of the walls and overall structure of the entrance and the King's Building. Cameron employs his shading technique of congregated lines to create shadows to add to the depth of this piece. This shading even goes into the details of the gargoyles portruding out from the walls of the main building and what appears to be statuettes keeping guard above. The empty space in the foreground and beyond the castle reflects Cameron's overall interest in depicting the architecture as the focus, which was a lesser known interest of much of his artwork. 

Cameron's rise to prominence was through his etching skills, with this piece showing his strong skills in printmaking through the use of light and dark contrast. Through the 'Etching Revival' spanning 1880-1930, Cameron produced and sold many of his prints through the support of art dealers in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Cameron captured many architectural details in his etchings, with another view of the gargoyles of the castle in his other work, The Gargoyles, Stirling Castle 1898 held at the National Galleries Scotland. The towers on the right hand side were part of the Gatehouse that was built between 1501-1506, which would have originally been twice the height they are in this piece and with conical roofs. Stirling Castle is another common subject in much of Cameron's works across his etchings and paintings, often combining the emphasis on the architecture with the softness of the surrounding landscape. 

Sir David Young Cameron RA RSA RWS RSW, 1865-1945

Cameron was a man of considerable importance and influence in British art circles in the 1920s and 1930s. His paintings attracted great critical acclaim and were acquired by many public art galleries in Britain and abroad. Sadly, the majority are today hidden in storerooms. Cameron's commitment to art extended well beyond the boundaries of the studio. During the second half of the First World War Cameron served as a war artist for the Canadian Government; he supervised the decoration of St. Stephen's Hall in the Houses of Parliament and of the rebuilt bank of England; he was associated with the British School in Rome for over twenty-five years; he was Trustee of the Tate Gallery and of the National Galleries of Scotland; and in 1933 he was appointed King's Painter and Limner in Scotland, an office previously held by Raeburn and Wilkie. Cameron was a son of the manse who’s deeply held religious faith was an important element throughout his life and imbued much of his work, particularly his landscapes. He devoted considerable time and energy to the Church of Scotland, advising many congregations on the redecoration of the churches.
Born in Glasgow, Cameron probably inherited his artistic ability from his mother, a talented amateur watercolourist, as did his sister, the watercolourist and etcher Katharine Cameron. While working in a Glasgow office he attended classes at Glasgow School of Art, and in 1884 he gave up office work -which he hated - in favour of painting, enrolling at Edinburgh School of Art, where fellow artists included W.M. Frazer and James Pryde.
However, it was as an etcher that Cameron first came to prominence. Like Rembrandt, who was a profound influence, Cameron was a master of light and shade, whether in a landscape, a street scene or one of his atmospheric church interiors. Over a period of some forty-five years he produced about 520 etchings and drypoints, becoming, with fellow Scots Muirhead Bone and James McBey, one of the foremost British etchers of the Etching Revival of 1880-1930.
Today Cameron is remembered as a painter of the Scottish landscape. However, his oevre included figure subjects and portraits, townscapes and architectural subjects as well as landscapes. He travelled widely throughout a long working life. His oils and watercolours show a remarkable ability to convey the character and spirit of a place.