Dinkelsbuehl Houses 1928

Louis Conrad Rosenberg made this print of Dinkelsbuehl Houses using etching, a process that's all about control and precision, but where accidents can be beautiful. What strikes me is the intricate dance of lines, like a meticulous spiderweb spun across the plate. Look at the way he renders the textures of the buildings, the roof tiles, the wooden beams – it’s all done with such delicate hatching and cross-hatching. The detail in the building to the left is amazing. You can almost feel the weight of the stone, the roughness of the timber. See how the marks vary in thickness and depth, creating areas of light and shadow that give the scene a sense of depth and atmosphere. There’s a kinship here with someone like Piranesi, who also loved to explore architectural spaces through printmaking. Both artists show that art is a process of discovery, where the artist is constantly responding to the material, pushing it, and allowing it to push back.