Derelict - Lake Union Seattle 1936

Edmond James Fitzgerald made this etching, Derelict - Lake Union Seattle, sometime in the 1930s. Look at how Fitzgerald coaxes depth and form out of simple hatched lines, creating a moody atmosphere. For me, this print is all about the process, the painstaking act of building up the image line by line. There's such a beautiful contrast between the solidity of the ship and the fluidity of the water, achieved purely through the direction and density of the etched lines. Note the dark, vertical lines that suggest the ship's hull dissolving into the water below. They’re like tears or maybe reflections. The bridge in the background is just barely there. The whole scene feels ephemeral, like a memory fading away. I see echoes of Whistler in Fitzgerald's work, that same interest in capturing a sense of place through subtle tonal variations. But Fitzgerald brings his own sensibility to the medium, embracing the imperfections and irregularities that give the print its unique character. Ultimately, it's this embrace of the unexpected that makes the piece so compelling.