Spanish Steps, Rome 1922

Louis Conrad Rosenberg made this etching of the Spanish Steps in Rome, in the early 20th century, with the kind of precision that only comes from really looking. I imagine him there, squinting in the Roman sun, trying to capture not just the shapes but the feeling of the place – the buzz of conversation, the weight of history. You can almost feel the heat rising off those paving stones! Look at how he uses these delicate lines to suggest the bustling square. The lines aren’t just descriptive, they’re expressive, like a quick note jotted down in a sketchbook. Rosenberg was an architect as well as an artist, and you can see that training in the way he structures the composition. He wasn't trying to make a perfect copy of reality. Instead, he's offering us a glimpse of how he sees the world, full of life and movement. It reminds me of Whistler and other etchers who were so good at making marks, conveying light and atmosphere with such economy.