Memento Vivere, Notre Dame, Evreux 1947

John Taylor Arms made "Memento Vivere, Notre Dame, Evreux" using etching techniques, a process that allows for incredible detail. The intricacy here isn't just about showing off, it's about the slow reveal, the kind of looking that rewards patience. The entire surface shimmers with finely wrought lines; the stone almost breathes. Look at the way the light catches on the spires, how each tiny window seems to hold its own story. It's a testament to the physicality of the process, the labor involved, and the artist's deep engagement with the subject. In the lower part of the print the deep shadows give way to an airy rendering of the stonework. It reminds me a little of Piranesi's architectural fantasies but with a softer touch, a kind of reverence. It suggests that art is not just about what we see but how we see, and that the act of looking can be a form of meditation, a way to remember to live.