Ponte Vecchio over de Arno te Florence 1886 - 1927

Guglielmo Taubert made this etching of the Ponte Vecchio, probably at his desk using acid to eat into the metal printing plate. The buildings are carefully drawn, yet slightly blurred and hazy like an old photograph, and the bridge rises above the water, which shimmers with light. I love how the little boats are reduced to simplified shapes. It’s a calm scene, but I imagine Taubert hunched over the plate, peering closely, gently rocking the acid bath, thinking about the old masters who came before. This print reminds me of the work of Whistler, who also made images of rivers and bridges. These artists are interested in the same thing: light and shadow. In a way, art-making is about a conversation between artists across time. Each artist studies those who came before, experimenting to find their own individual way to see and interpret the world. Artists learn from one another, inspiring creativity across generations.