The Sleeping Rag Vendor 1902

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan made this etching, called ‘The Sleeping Rag Vendor,’ sometime in the early 20th century. The image emerges from a dark ground through a dense network of tiny, scratchy lines. Imagine MacLaughlan bent over the plate, carefully building up the image bit by bit. The scene depicts a room piled high with sacks, where a woman sits mending. Another figure is visible through a window behind. I feel the weight of their labor in the textures of the image. The light is dim and stark, focusing attention on the foregrounded figure. The whole scene reminds me of Rembrandt’s etchings, with their deep shadows and sympathetic portrayal of everyday life. You can feel MacLaughlan trying to capture the dignity and hardship of the figures depicted. Etching is an intimate medium, demanding a slow and deliberate process. There is a conversation happening across time, between artists thinking about how to represent the world around them.