Near Kingston 1938

John W. Taylor made this print, Near Kingston, using etching, to give it that real sense of depth. Look how the etched lines create a whole world of texture. You can almost feel the grit of the riverbank. It's like Taylor wasn't just depicting a scene, but also inviting us to touch and feel it through our eyes. Notice the bridge, the way it's rendered in fine lines? It contrasts the more organic forms of the landscape, like a conversation between industry and nature. And isn't it funny how art can do that? How it can hold so many different ideas and feelings all at once, without ever settling on just one meaning. It reminds me a bit of Edward Hopper's work, that same sense of quiet observation, finding beauty in the everyday.