The Great Clock—Rouen c. 1940s

Frank P. Whiting made this etching of ‘The Great Clock—Rouen’, and I can imagine him patiently working on the metal plate, carefully incising those thousands of tiny lines with his etching needle. It makes you think about time, and the way that art can slow things down. There’s something about the intricacy of the clock, the way it looms over the street, that contrasts with the blur of everyday life happening underneath. I wonder what Whiting was thinking as he etched this scene. Did he feel a connection to the past, to the history embedded in those stones? Or was he simply captivated by the play of light and shadow on the buildings? It reminds me of Piranesi, whose etchings created imaginary architectural spaces and scenes. All these artists are working to capture an image of the world, but are also adding their own perspective, shaping the way we see.