St. Ouen, Rouen 1903

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan made this print of St. Ouen in Rouen using etching, a process that I find so intriguing because it’s all about controlled accidents. See how the lines build up, not just describing the architecture but almost constructing it from the ground up? The density of marks creates depth, like the cathedral is emerging from the very paper. It reminds me that artmaking is a form of building, a slow accumulation of decisions, where each tiny stroke matters. Look closely at the spire, how it fades into the sky. That blurring is not a mistake; it’s a mood, a feeling. It’s like MacLaughlan is saying, “Here is this solid, monumental thing, but it's also ephemeral, changing, and part of something bigger.” MacLaughlan reminds me a bit of Piranesi, who was also obsessed with architecture and mood. They both invite us to see not just the thing itself, but the feeling of it, the bigness and the mystery.