Cincinnati Terminal 1930

Louis Conrad Rosenberg created this piece, Cincinnati Terminal, using etching. What’s cool about this piece is the way Rosenberg thinks through the process of art making. The whole thing is built up of tiny marks, and it's incredible how those lines create the feeling of a big, bustling city. Look at the way the lines vary in thickness and direction. They create depth and texture, don't they? It's like he’s mapping out the whole area, building by building, rail by rail. Take a look at the upper left corner, where the city fades into the distance. It’s just a haze of lines, but it gives you a real sense of the scale and how the city stretches on and on. Rosenberg really captures the energy of this place. It reminds me of Piranesi, but with an American twist. It leaves you thinking about how we build our world, line by line.