The Shrine 1922

Ernest Stephen Lumsden made this etching, The Shrine, sometime in the first half of the 20th Century. The man knew how to layer tone, that's for sure. Look at the way he creates the sense of depth and shadow, especially around the drapes. It’s like he's building up the image bit by bit, scratch by scratch. There is the interplay of light and dark that gives everything a kind of mystical quality. The textures are fascinating, right? Notice the difference between the smooth surfaces of the sculptures and the rougher, more organic feel of the background, but the most captivating is the figure to the front in the foreground. The pose, the dress, the book… It’s as if Lumsden is telling us a story but leaving it up to us to fill in the details. It reminds me of some of the symbolist paintings, the kind that invite you to get lost in thought. Anyway, it's a powerful reminder that art isn't just about showing us something, it's about making us feel something.