Donald Shaw MacLaughlan — Michigan Avenue no. 1

The avenue running away from you, with the towers stepping back one behind the other.

The document

A long view down the avenue with the buildings receding in ranks, trees along the near kerb and a low classical block closing the right-hand side. Light is used sparingly: the sheet is mostly line, and the sky is left almost bare.

One of the plates of Ten Etched Plates of Chicago, the portfolio MacLaughlan made in 1931. The Smithsonian holds eight of the ten plus the frontispiece.

About the artist

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan (1876–1938) was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and died in Marrakesh. He spent three decades etching the old cities of Europe — Rouen, Venice, Paris — and in Chicago he was represented by the Albert Roullier Art Galleries. In 1931, at fifty-five, he made twelve views of Chicago. The following year he took a prize at the Society of Etchers annual in New York.

The print

Printed to order and made to last. Choose Museum Matte (heavyweight matte art paper) or Fine Art Giclée (Hahnemühle cotton paper — the archival standard). The Métrica museum caption — artist, title, date and source — is printed as part of the piece, set in our house type. Free US shipping on orders over $75.

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan · Michigan Avenue no. 1, etching, 1931. Smithsonian American Art Museum, 1974.85.83. Public domain (CC0).