Covered Street, Florence 1907

Ernest Roth created this etching, Covered Street, Florence, and it’s all about the dance of line and light. The composition pulls you in, like a secret passage revealed with these dark lines that describe so much. I love how Roth uses the etching technique to capture the texture of the stone, the way the light bounces off the wet street. It’s almost monochromatic, but the subtle shifts in tone create depth and atmosphere. Focus on the archway; see how the lines converge to create this sense of depth? The roughness of the lines gives the print a tactile quality, like you could reach out and touch the stone. The street is not flat, and Roth has captured all that with the barest of means. I’m reminded of Piranesi, who also had this way of capturing the grandeur of architecture. Art is just one conversation bouncing off another! There’s something so special about the printmaking process; each pull from the plate is slightly different, making it unique.