Ponte Vecchio, Florence 1912

Muirhead Bone made this etching of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, sometime in the early 20th Century, with what looks like a fine-tipped etching needle, the kind that leaves a really delicate, almost scratchy line. It's all about process, you know? Check out the way he’s built up the image, layer by layer, with all those tiny lines. It's like he's mapping the city, one stroke at a time. It’s so light and airy, even though it’s packed with detail. The texture is amazing; you can almost feel the roughness of the stone and the way the light catches on the water. Look at the sky, how it is evoked with minimal lines! It makes me think of Piranesi, another printmaker obsessed with cities, but Bone’s got this softer, more intimate feel to his work. Art's just one big conversation, right? Always echoing, always changing. It's never really finished, is it?