Venetian Mirror

Trained in architectural design, John Taylor Arms took up etching as a hobby in 1913, when his wife gave him a small kit as a gift. He took to the technique enthusiastically, and etched fifteen plates before joining the Navy in 1919 to serve during World War I. After his discharge, he turned his full attention to artistic pursuits. His earlier subjects were fifteenth- and sixteenth-century French houses and other architectural details, as well as more American themes of sailing ships and views of Boston and New York, rendered both in black and white and in color. However, he became disenchanted with this material, saying, “I can admire the skyscrapers of New York . . . but I cannot love them and I cannot etch what I do not love.” Searching for a new source of inspiration, Arms was drawn to Spain, France, and Italy, and he began a series of etchings of various subjects in each country.

This particular print comes from a later series of views of Venice, in which Arms, having refined his technique, was able to display his mastery of execution. The reflections of the stately buildings lining the Grand Canal, upon closer inspection, are actually comprised of hundreds of tiny strokes, which from afar combine to create the full image. Writing in the Georgia Review in 1976, William S. Pelletier noted that such a method “shows Arms’ ability to achieve a range of values through line alone, [and this print] must rank as one of his great productions.”