Repairing the Auld Brig, Ayr - No. 1 1909

Muirhead Bone made this etching, "Repairing the Auld Brig, Ayr - No. 1", probably sometime in the early 20th century, using delicate lines to capture a scene of labor and repair. I can imagine Bone standing there, squinting at the light as he scratched these lines into the metal plate. The bridge under repair becomes a skeleton of itself. It is as if Bone has sympathy for the bridge, for the labor involved in maintaining these structures that connect us. The scratches are so intricate, building up to form the stone and wood, the reflections in the water, even the distant buildings. It reminds me of Piranesi, the way he builds these complex architectural spaces with simple lines. There's a real sense of atmosphere, a quietness despite all the activity. Artists are always in conversation, across time and space, using simple tools to show us the world in new and unexpected ways.