Five Pound Island c. early 20th century

Percy F. Albee made this print, Five Pound Island, using etching. The beauty of a print like this lies in its process. It’s all about the line, how it thickens and thins, speeds up or slows down, and how it captures the light. Albee's mark-making feels immediate, like a quick sketch done on location. The closely hatched lines give the image its density. Look at the reflections in the water – they’re not exact copies of the buildings, but rather a kind of shorthand, a series of broken lines that suggest movement and shimmer. The texture is key; the paper itself has a slight grain, which interacts with the ink to create a slightly rough, tactile surface. The limited palette focuses us on form and structure, emphasizing the relationships between the solid buildings and the fluid water. That single, almost scribbled line that defines the horizon feels particularly poignant, a reminder of the thin line between representation and abstraction. This reminds me a little of Whistler’s etchings, though Albee feels a bit more raw. It’s less about perfection and more about capturing the fleeting essence of a place. Art’s an ongoing conversation, right?