James Hamilton Hay

1874 - 1916

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The Black Arch, Runcorn Bridge / Widnes. The Dark Arch 1913

Original drypoint.

Outstanding impression of this scarce unpublished work, with rich drypoint burr.
This striking drypoint view which anticipates the work of C.R.W. Nevinson shows one of the great arches of Runcorn Bridge and the industiral town of Widnes on the Northern bank of the Mersey.
Provenance: One of only three impressions found in the artist’s estate.

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Runcorn Suspension Bridge 1913

Original drypoint.

Brilliant impression of this scarce unpublished work, with rich drypoint burr.
James Hamilton Hay’s masterpiece.
Provenance: The sole impression from the artist’s estate via his sister Maria Hay.

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The New Lion, British Museum 1913

Original drypoint.

Outstanding impression of this scarce unpublished work, with rich drypoint burr.
One of James Hamilton Hay’s finest works.
Provenance: The sole impression from the artist’s estate via his sister Maria Hay.

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The Encased Statue 1913

Original drypoint.

Very fine signed proof impression of this rare unpublished plate.

Provenance: The sole impression from the artist’s estate via his sister Maria Hay.

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Salt Mill, Southwold 1913

Original drypoint.

Superb impression of this scarce unpublished work, with rich drypoint burr. This plate was unknown to Campbell Dodgson.
Provenance: The artist’s estate via his sister Maria Hay – the sole known impression.

SOLD

Corfe Castle (large plate) 1914

Original drypoint.

Excellent impression of this scarce unpublished work, with rich drypoint burr.
The artist’s finest view of Corfe.
Provenance: The artist’s estate via his sister Maria Hay – the sole known impression.

SOLD

James Hamilton Hay was born in Birkenhead, part of the conurbation of Liverpool. The son of an architect, he worked in his father’s office for three years, before attending Liverpool School of Art and in the later 1890’s he studied painting under Talmage and Julius Olsson at St.Ives. A natural master of composition and perspective, James Hamilton Hay had a passion for Japanese colour prints and this influence is reflected in the decorative nature of many of his works.

Aside from three experimental etched plates made between 1898 and 1900, James Hamilton Hay did not make any original prints until 1913. Inspired by the example of Francis Dodd (to whom he sat for a drypoint portrait in 1912), he took up drypoint engraving. James Hamilton Hay's style was much influenced by his friend and housemate, Henry Rushbury, and by Dodd’s own. Over the following three years, J.Hamilton Hay made 50 original drypoints. Sadly, his delicate constitution gave way to serious illness and he died after a series of operations in 1916.

None of James Hamilton Hay’s plates was ever published in a formal edition and all are now scarce. [more]