Old Houses, Florence c. 1920s

Editor: This etching, "Old Houses, Florence" by W. Douglas MacLeod from around the 1920s, really evokes a sense of history, doesn't it? The way the buildings seem to rise straight out of the water, it almost feels like a dream. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: It makes me think of Venice, a near neighbour with its own watery charms. Maybe it’s my own cultural reflex, always reaching for what’s familiar. The linear detail in those reflections almost vibrate, which contrasts beautifully with the static mass of the architecture. I wonder, is that gondola a window into the artist’s soul, a lone traveler searching for something amidst the grandeur? Editor: A lone traveler, that's lovely! It does add a certain pensive mood. Do you think the limited color palette, the blacks and whites, contribute to that feeling as well? Curator: Absolutely. It strips away the distraction of color and focuses our attention on form, light, and shadow. It forces us to really see, rather than just look. Makes you consider your own perspective on life, you know? Adds to the mystery and that beautiful, haunting quality. What do you make of the perspective? Does it draw you in or keep you at a distance? Editor: It almost feels both intimate and distant, now that you mention it. Like I'm peering through a keyhole, catching a glimpse of another world, yet still separate from it. Curator: Precisely! It’s the artist inviting us to become a part of this city’s story, this little reverie. Editor: It’s amazing how much depth a simple etching can hold. Thanks, that’s given me a whole new perspective. Curator: My pleasure, this kind of artwork calls out to the little detective within all of us.