Edinburgh 1928

Andrew Watson Turnbull made this etching of Edinburgh, and you can see how he really understood that line can be like a thought, a quick stroke leading to a new idea. Look at how he captures the textures of the buildings; the marks are so particular to the forms he's depicting. Now, shift your gaze to the foreground, notice the contrast, and the way the marks become freer and more improvisational, suggesting a wilder, more untamed space. That's what I find so interesting, the tension between the architectural precision and the almost abstract quality of the landscape. It reminds me of Piranesi, but with a softer, more intimate touch. Like a whispered secret about a city, rather than a grand declaration.