Corner of State and Washington Streets, Chicago, in the Year 1865 c. 1928

Raoul Varin made this print of the corner of State and Washington Streets in Chicago, and it might as well have been a century ago. I can imagine Varin, a young guy at the time, looking around, thinking about the light, the buildings, and the activity of the street. He's probably making sketches, taking notes, and trying to get a feel for the place. It’s fascinating how he captured this sense of light and air using such precise lines! The way he rendered the clouds, for example, with these soft, hazy edges, gives the whole scene a kind of dreamlike quality. It’s not just a picture of a street corner; it’s a whole world, full of people and stories, and it makes you wonder what it was like to be there. When we look at a print like this, we’re not just seeing the past. We’re also seeing the artist’s mind at work. Varin teaches us how to see a little better, and make something new ourselves.