The Hill City 1909

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan made this etching, called ‘The Hill City’, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The soft sepia tones and delicate hatching feel both precise and intuitive, like a detailed memory. It's fascinating how the texture of the print creates a kind of visual static. The lines are so close together, it almost vibrates. Look closely, and you can see how MacLaughlan uses the density of the lines to create depth, pulling the eye into the landscape. The contrast between the natural forms of the trees and hills, and the hard edges of the city in the distance, is really striking. It reminds me of some of Whistler's etchings, that same attention to tone and atmosphere. But MacLaughlan brings his own sensibility, capturing a sense of the monumental within the intimate scale of the print. There’s so much to discover, depending on how you look.