Lace in Stone, Rouen Cathedral
1927
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 35.56 x 28.89 cm (14 x 11 3/8 in.) sheet: 45.4 x 32.39 cm (17 7/8 x 12 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.1443
Art Historical Context
John Taylor Arms, a leading American etcher of the early 20th century, captured the exquisite Gothic intricacy of Rouen Cathedral in his 1927 print *Lace in Stone, Cathedral*. This work reflects Arms' passion for European medieval architecture, honed during his extensive travels to France. Rouen Cathedral, a masterpiece of French Gothic design from the 12th to 16th centuries, inspired artists like Claude Monet with its ornate facade of spires, arches, and tracery—ities Arms poetically evokes in the title, likening sculpted stone to delicate lace. Rendered as an etching on laid paper (plate: 1...
About the Artist
John Taylor Arms
John Taylor Arms (1887–1953) was one of America's foremost etchers of the twentieth century, renowned for his meticulous renderings of Gothic architecture. Born in Washington, D.C., he initially pursued law at Princeton University before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a master's degree in architecture in 1912. He apprenticed as a draftsman and worked for...