b/w etching
1933
12 5/8 x 7 1/4
edition: 160
signed in pencil
A trial proof and a fine impression in fine condition
This image is by America's greatest etcher, John Taylor Arms. The Spanish cathedral in Zamora is an impressive example of Romanesque architecture located on the hilltop by the river (great view from the other bank of the Duero!). This impression referenced as Fletcher 266 is a trial proof pulled before the full edition of 160. It is a fine impression in fine condition with full margins. John Taylor Arms (American, 1887 – 1953) Arms studied architecture at Princeton and MIT and later became the country’s finest etcher of his age. His renderings of European and American architectural subjects are not only beautiful, but they are unrivaled in their technical virtuosity and nuanced light. In a recent exhibit, the Cleveland Museum noted: Arms believed that art could be a tool for the spiritual and moral improvement of mankind and that Gothic cathedrals represented “the most significant expression of man’s aspirations.” He viewed printmaking as a vehicle for disseminating images of subjects that would uplift and inspire contemporary society. Arms served as President of the Society of American Etchers and as an ambassador for American printmakers and printmaking throughout the world.
