Stadshuset - Stockholm 1920

Gerhard Albin Albe etched this view of Stockholm's Stadshuset, or City Hall, on a copper plate, using brown ink to make the print. I imagine Albe, the artist, patiently immersed in his craft, probably spending hours bent over the plate, using tools to create the details of this architectural structure reflected in the water. The whole scene has a sepia tone, which gives it a melancholic and historical quality. I wonder if he knew he would live to be 100 years old? The hatching marks in the sky feel like light refracting, almost like a Turner painting, and lend a dramatic quality to the composition. I love how the artist plays with light and shadow to create depth and atmosphere. It's as if the city itself is breathing, alive with history and possibility. And the sailboat in the foreground really brings it all together. The work is also a reminder that artists are constantly in dialogue with one another, drawing inspiration from the past while pushing the boundaries of their own creative expression.