Mill Stream 1899

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan created the print, "Mill Stream," using etching, a medium that allowed for the rich textures and atmospheric effects you see here. MacLaughlan was part of the Etching Revival, a late 19th and early 20th century movement that saw artists taking up etching as a fine art form. Notice how the landscape is rendered. What might appear, at first glance, as a simple pastoral scene, is complicated by its medium. The fine lines, the gradations of light and shadow, transform the landscape into a space that feels both familiar and dreamlike. The cows drinking from the stream suggest an intimacy with nature, a working relationship that is about to be displaced by urbanization. This work speaks to the complex relationship between humanity and nature, progress and tradition. MacLaughlan invites us to consider what is gained and what is lost in our ever-evolving world. It’s a quiet, reflective piece that captures a moment of transition.