Ruelle du Pêcheur 1902

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan made this etching, Ruelle du Pêcheur, with ink on paper. What an image! A steep view up a crowded lane. I can imagine him outside, on the street, hunkered over a copper plate covered in wax, scribing his vision through a sharp needle. The composition is a marvel, and you can feel the energy of the artist's hand in all those tiny marks. The lines are so dense they become tonal, creating depth. The surface feels alive with activity, like he's trying to capture the fleeting atmosphere of a real place, not just its appearance. I feel like I'm standing right there, in the shadows of those buildings, looking up at the washing hanging in the sun. MacLaughlan’s print reminds me a little of Whistler's etchings of Venice – that same interest in capturing the gritty reality of urban life. Artists are always in conversation with each other, borrowing, riffing, and pushing things further!