Rue Mouffetard, Paris 1906

This is John Marin’s etching, a print called Rue Mouffetard, Paris. Looking at it, I imagine him with his plate, his tools, his hands moving carefully. The street scene is teeming with people, but the etching itself feels so quiet and intimate, like a secret whispered between the artist and the viewer. I wonder, was he trying to capture the hustle and bustle of Parisian life? Or was it more about the feeling of being there, the light, the air, the weight of the buildings? See how the lines are delicate but certain. The textures and tones are layered, and the more you look the more you see, people going about their day. Marin used this etching technique repeatedly throughout his life. It is as if he is having a conversation with other artists across time. They are forever inspiring one another's creativity. This piece is an embodied expression that embraces ambiguity. It allows for multiple interpretations and meanings, over fixed or definitive readings.