La Cité, Paris 1907

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan made this etching, La Cité, Paris, sometime in the early 20th century. Look at how he's scratched and bitten into the plate to create this vision of Paris. It reminds us that artmaking is a process of layering and revealing. The magic of this print lies in its textures. You can almost feel the rough stone of the buildings, imagine the lapping of water against the boats in the foreground. The whole thing shimmers with light, even though the palette is pretty restrained. It's all about the density and direction of those etched lines. Take a look at the plume of smoke on the left - the way it dissolves into the sky through those fine, almost chaotic lines, is just gorgeous. It’s as if MacLaughlan is capturing not just a place, but a fleeting moment. MacLaughlan was part of a whole community of etchers and printmakers who were obsessed with capturing the modern city. Think of Whistler or some of the French Impressionists. They were all exploring similar themes, but in their own ways. It’s a conversation across time.