The City of Towers 1909

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan made this etching of The City of Towers, and what strikes me is the way the image feels both solid and dreamlike. I can imagine MacLaughlan carefully preparing the metal plate, then using a sharp tool to incise these fine, feathery lines. Look at the way the towers rise up, almost like skeletal remains, against the soft, smudgy sky. It’s as if the artist is searching for the structure of this place, trying to capture its essence, not just its surface appearance. It reminds me of Piranesi's etchings of Rome, but with a more intimate, personal touch. The details are incredible, almost obsessive, yet the overall feeling is open and airy. Painters and printmakers are always looking at each other, riffing on each other's ideas across time, creating this crazy, interconnected web of creativity. These works invite us into an ongoing conversation.