Florence 1907

Ernest Roth's "Florence" presents a city rendered in ink, or maybe acid, on a metal plate. Look closely, and you will notice how the city seems to grow right out of the river. The lines are so alive, like the city itself is breathing. It's a beautiful example of how a printmaker can use hatching and cross-hatching to create depth and texture. The water's surface is rendered with these quick, horizontal strokes, suggesting movement and reflection. It's not just a picture of a city; it's an experience of being there, feeling the ancient stones and the flow of the river. Roth reminds me a bit of Piranesi, the way he captures the grandeur and decay of architecture. Art's about this ongoing conversation, where artists borrow, steal, and transform ideas across time, inviting us to see the world in ever-new ways.