Rio delle Verona, Venice

Art Historical Context

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan's *Rio delle Verona, Venice (1912) captures the serene beauty of one of Venice's quieter canals, the Rio delle Verona, during the artist's frequent sojourns in the city. A Canadian-American printmaker active in the early 20 century, MacLaughlan renowned for his evocative depictions of Venetian waterways, bridges, and architecture, blending detail with atmospheric mood. Created just before World War I, etching reflects a golden era of European travel and artistic fascination with Italy's lagoon city, a perennial muse for artists from Canaletto to Whistler. As an etching—a intaglio printmaking technique where acid etches intricate lines into a copper plate— this work showcases MacLaughlan's mastery of tonal subtlety and light effects. Etchings like this were prized during the etching revival (circa 1880–1920) for their accessibility as original art, allowing artists to produce limited editions with rich, velvety textures impossible in other media. The medium's precision highlights the play of reflections on water and shadowed facades, inviting viewers to linger on Venice's timeless allure. Now in the National Gallery of Art thanks to the generous gift of Addie Burr Clark, this print exemplifies the museum's commitment to fine prints. It offers a window into early modernist sensibilities, where everyday urban poetry is elevated through technical virtuosity.

About the Artist

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan · 1876–1938

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan (1876–1938) was born on November 9 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, though he is recognized as an American artist after his family relocated to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1890. There, as a teenager, he immersed himself in the Boston Public Library's collections of old master prints, studying works by Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn, and eighteenth-century E...