St. Séverin, Paris
Medium
Etching in black on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 18.2 × 10.9 cm (7 3/16 × 4 5/16 in.); Sheet: 23.3 × 15.4 cm (9 3/16 × 6 1/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
11851
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Donald Shaw MacLaughlan’s 1902 etching “St. Séverin, Paris” captures the soaring Gothic architecture of the historic church in Paris’s Latin Quarter. Rendered in black ink on cream laid paper, the small print measures just over seven inches tall, yet it conveys the intricate stonework, pointed arches, and vertical thrust of the medieval structure with remarkable precision. The choice of etching, a technique prized for its ability to produce fine, expressive lines, allowed MacLaughlan to translate the play of light and shadow across the church’s façade into a delicate, atmospheric image. Created at the turn of the twentieth century, when many artists turned to printmaking to document Europe’s architectural heritage, this work reflects a moment of renewed interest in historic cityscapes. Etchings like this one were often produced in limited editions and collected by museums and enthusiasts seeking portable, affordable records of cultural landmarks. Now part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings collection, the print invites viewers to appreciate both the enduring beauty of St. Séverin and the quiet artistry of early-twentieth-century printmaking.
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...