The Great Clock—Rouen c. 1940s

This is Frank P. Whiting's print of The Great Clock in Rouen. With delicate lines etched into the plate, Whiting captures the imposing architecture. Look at the way he's built up the image. It's a layering of textures and marks, a real testament to the art of printmaking. The surface has a tactile quality, doesn’t it? The contrast of light and shadow really animates the stone facades, and the cross-hatching gives the whole scene a hazy atmosphere. Notice the clock face. It’s intricately rendered, but softened with the overall effect. The figures at the bottom are more like suggestions of people than detailed portraits, which adds to the print's dreamlike quality. I can’t help but think of Piranesi, the way Whiting evokes the grandeur of European architecture. Prints like this invite you to see the world through the artist’s eyes, one that is both real and imagined.