Old House, Rue des Arpents, Rouen, I

Marin’s Rouen etchings of 1909 represent an explosion of originality. This view exemplifies his new insights; its sketchy, wandering lines and off-kilter facades communicate the particular charm and bustle of the street, epitomizing Marin’s statement that etchings should be “little letters of places.” He experimented extensively with this plate, printing impressions with as many different effects as possible, even inscribing one sheet in pencil, “Every print different.”