The Mosque, Delphi 1912

Ernest Stephen Lumsden made this etching, titled "The Mosque, Delphi" at an undetermined date. There’s something so raw about the mark-making here. Look at those delicate lines, almost tentative, scratching the surface of the plate, creating this hazy, dreamlike vision of the mosque. It’s like Lumsden is letting us peek into his own process, revealing the vulnerability of trying to capture a fleeting impression. I love how the details of the mosque seem to emerge from a sea of suggestive lines and the way the architecture seems to dissolve into the atmosphere around it. It reminds me of Whistler, who was also interested in representing a feeling of place more than a photographic depiction. It’s like they are saying, “Here’s what I saw, but more importantly, here’s how I felt." Ultimately, art is about sharing a way of seeing, and Lumsden invites us to see Delphi through his eyes, with all its beauty and mystery.