Biography
Donald Shaw MacLaughlan (b. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada 1876 - d. Marrakesh, Morocco 1938) moved to Boston, Massachusetts, USA where he began to experiment with different art media; watercolour, oil painting and finally, etching – with a few attempts at lithography. He spent much of his early years at the Boston Public Library studying the work of printmakers, from Durer and Rembrandt to the 18th century English, French and Italian masters. It was here he also became interested in the work of Whistler, who would be a major influence. He travelled to Europe to study in Paris, enrolling in the Ecole des Beaux Arts and studied further with Gerome and Laurens. In 1899 he began producing etchings, which became his major interest until his death in 1938. In 1931 he produced a suite of 12 etchings of Chicago which helped to introduce his work to an American audience.
