The Grolier Club Library (Sketch) 1941

John Taylor Arms made this etching of the Grolier Club Library in 1941. Look at the intricacy, the sheer labor of all those tiny, tiny lines that build up to create this cavernous space. I can only imagine the patience it took to create something so ornate. For Arms, artmaking was about mastering technique and process, a real labor of love! What I find really fascinating is how he uses line to create texture. Notice how the cross-hatching on the ceiling and the checkered floor creates a sense of depth, like you could actually walk into this room. It's like he's building a whole world with just lines, which reminds me of Piranesi, another architect turned printmaker with a love for detail. Ultimately, this print reminds us that art is about seeing and making, that even the most formal spaces can be brought to life through the artist's hand and eye. It's a conversation across time, echoing the past while offering something new.