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John Taylor Arms
1887–1953
BirthplaceWashington, D.C., United States of America
Death placeNew York, New York, United States of America
BiographyAn exceptional architectural etcher, John Taylor Arms also was an influential promoter of fine printmaking to fellow artists and collectors. After initially pursuing law at Princeton University, Arms transferred in 1907 to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for architecture training with Désiré Despradelle (1862–1912), an advocate of traditional design practices established by the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Arms excelled in architectural draftsmanship, particularly in precisely rendering elaborate ornamentation. In 1912, after receiving his Master of Science degree, he spent two years working as an architectural draftsman for the prestigious New York architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings. During this time, he also set up his own practice in partnership with architect Cameron Clark.
With an amateur etching kit given to him by Dorothy Noyes, whom he married in 1913, Arms taught himself printmaking by copying prints made by others. By 1914 he had created his first original etching. Two years later, he discontinued his architectural practice and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving on convoy duty during World War I. Upon his military discharge in 1919, Arms decided to specialize in etching as his profession. During his prolific first decade as a printmaker, he etched picturesque views of Europe, images of boats and ships, landscapes of rural Maine, New York architectural scenes, and images of cathedral gargoyles. A great admirer of Gothic architecture, Arms in 1923 began his ambitious project of documenting Europe's major churches through a series of prints. Based on his travels in Europe, Arms created almost one hundred prints of churches in France, Spain, and Italy, in addition to executing images of charming Italian villages. With his wife, he also wrote the books Churches of France (1929) and Hill Towns and Cities of Northern Italy (1932). In the late 1930s, he began a series of etchings of English village churches.
Esteemed for his printmaking expertise, Arms served as President of the Society of American Etchers. He authored dozens of articles about intaglio technique, in addition to Handbook of Print Making and Print Makers (1934). He helped increase the visibility of prints at the 1939 New York World's Fair and at the annual exhibitions at the National Academy of Design, in New York. During World War II, in addition to making etchings of Mexican architecture, he visited shipyards in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia as the basis for his "U.S. Navy Ship Series," which glorified America's war effort . In the course of his career, Arms executed more than 440 prints, each a marvel of representational realism.
With an amateur etching kit given to him by Dorothy Noyes, whom he married in 1913, Arms taught himself printmaking by copying prints made by others. By 1914 he had created his first original etching. Two years later, he discontinued his architectural practice and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving on convoy duty during World War I. Upon his military discharge in 1919, Arms decided to specialize in etching as his profession. During his prolific first decade as a printmaker, he etched picturesque views of Europe, images of boats and ships, landscapes of rural Maine, New York architectural scenes, and images of cathedral gargoyles. A great admirer of Gothic architecture, Arms in 1923 began his ambitious project of documenting Europe's major churches through a series of prints. Based on his travels in Europe, Arms created almost one hundred prints of churches in France, Spain, and Italy, in addition to executing images of charming Italian villages. With his wife, he also wrote the books Churches of France (1929) and Hill Towns and Cities of Northern Italy (1932). In the late 1930s, he began a series of etchings of English village churches.
Esteemed for his printmaking expertise, Arms served as President of the Society of American Etchers. He authored dozens of articles about intaglio technique, in addition to Handbook of Print Making and Print Makers (1934). He helped increase the visibility of prints at the 1939 New York World's Fair and at the annual exhibitions at the National Academy of Design, in New York. During World War II, in addition to making etchings of Mexican architecture, he visited shipyards in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia as the basis for his "U.S. Navy Ship Series," which glorified America's war effort . In the course of his career, Arms executed more than 440 prints, each a marvel of representational realism.