Venetian Filigree (Ca’ d'Oro Venetia) 1931

John Taylor Arms made this print, Venetian Filigree, using etching. Look at how he's built up the image with all these tiny lines, like he's knitting with ink. It's a process, right? A slow reveal. Arms isn't hiding anything here, you can see every mark. The density of the etching creates depth, and the repetition of shapes generates these shimmering patterns across the surface. The texture is palpable, like running your fingers across an old stone wall. The reflections in the water are the perfect contrast. The way the etched lines break up and dissolve, it's almost like the building is breathing, and the water is too, sighing. You can see it in the bottom left, there's a column that becomes three columns in the reflection, like a beautiful mistake. This reminds me of Piranesi, and all those detailed, almost fantastical architectural prints. The endless exchange of ideas through time, each artist adding their own little thread to the tapestry. It’s never definitive, always in process.